How do I file an application for a pension?

You must file a written application with the Board of Trustees on a form that will be provided by the Plan Office. Application for retirement must be filed no more than 90 days before the pension effective date or Annuity Starting Date.

You are urged to file as soon as you decide on your intended retirement date, but no more than 90 days before. Early filing will avoid delay in the processing of your application and payment of benefits.

The Trustees may request additional information from you in order to make a decision on your application. For example, if you are married, proof of marriage and your spouse s birth date are required. If you are asked to provide more information, you will have to respond within 90 days of the end of the month in which you received the request. If you fail to respond within that time period, your application will be considered withdrawn and you will be notified. However, if you provide the additional information within 30 days of the notification, your application will be considered effective. If not, you will have to file a new application in order to be considered for pension benefits.

As soon as possible after the death of the employee or pensioner, the surviving spouse or beneficiary should contact the Plan Office to request information about filing an application for survivor benefits. A written application for any death benefit should be made within 12 months from the date of death.

When do pension benefits begin?

If you have met all the requirements of the Pension Plan, including the advance filing, your pension will begin on the first day of the month you are entitled to benefits. If you are applying for benefits after you reached age 65 and it is determined that you were eligible to receive a benefit earlier, your monthly benefit payments will be actuarially adjusted for the late payment.

However, beginning in 1989, a participant must begin taking his pension by April 1 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which he reached age 70 1/2 even if he remains at work.

If you have not submitted an application by the date of your mandatory distribution, and the actuarial present value of your benefit is less than $5,000, such benefit will be paid to you as a lump sum. If your benefit is worth more than $5,000, the Plan will pay your benefit to you in the form of a Husband and Wife Pension, according to the Plan rules that would apply to a participant who has been married for at least one year and calculated as though the husband was three years older than the wife.

Once the Plan begins to pay a benefit in this manner, such payment will not be changed unless the participant provides proof that he or she was not married on the date payments began. If the participant is married and proof of the ages of both the husband and wife is submitted, the monthly benefit will be recalculated based on the actual ages of the participant and spouse.

If my application is denied, or I don t agree with the benefit amount, do I have the right to appeal?

Yes. You (or your authorized representative) simply file a written appeal with the Plan Office no later than 180 days after you received the notice of denial.

If you have not received a decision on a claim for benefits within 90 days, you may request a review of the claim. (There are special circumstances under which you may not be notified of a decision until 180 days after application, but to protect your rights, you should contact the Plan Office, if you have not heard for 90 days). Also, you have a right to review pertinent documents, and to submit comments in writing.

The Board of Trustees or a designated committee will rule on the appeal within 120 days after it was filed. The decision will be in writing and will include the specific basis for the decision and specific references to Plan provisions on which the decision was based. The decision of the Board or its designated committee will be final and binding on all concerned.

Can I sell, assign or pledge my right to benefits?

No. Benefits cannot be sold, assigned or pledged as a security for a loan. Furthermore, they are not subject to attachment or execution under any judgement or decree of a court or otherwise, except by the Internal Revenue Service, or under the terms of Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) filed with the Plan Office.