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Home > Pension Plan > Plan Application Procedures
PENSION PLAN APPLICATION PROCDURES — Standard and Disability Applications
This document contains information regarding pension application and appeal procedures and is effective January 1, 2002. It addresses how to apply, gives detailed time frames that the Benefits Fund Office follows while considering your application, and describes what to do if your application is denied. Answers to specific questions regarding eligibility requirements and other pension-related issues can be found in the Plan document, a plan booklet (Summary Plan Description), and/or on the pages of this Web site. The guidelines contained in this document apply to applications filed after January 1, 2002. Requests for application forms may be made by contacting the Benefits Fund Office.
For purposes of these guidelines, there are two types of pension applications: standard and
disability. There are different requirements and different procedures for each type of
application.
Standard Applications—those filed by employee-members who are at least 54 years of
age. A standard application is considered complete when a request for benefits to begin on a
specific date is received. Standard applications also include those filed by survivors of
participants who die prior to retirement.
Disability Applications—those filed by employee-members of any age who are
presumably totally and permanently disabled. To be considered complete, an application for a
disability pension must include a copy of an Award Letter from the Social Security
Administration. However, an applicant is encouraged to file the application even if a Social
Security Award Letter has not yet been received.
Standard Applications. The Benefits Fund Office will make a determination regarding
an applicant's eligibility for benefits no more than 90 days after receipt of a complete
application. If there are special circumstances which require additional time to process an
application, the Fund Administrator will provide an extension notice to the applicant. This notice
will be made prior to the end of the initial 90 day period, and will indicate a date as of which the
Benefits Fund Office expects to reach the determination.
Disability Applications. The Benefits Fund Office will notify a disability applicant if an
application is wholly or partially denied within 45 days from receipt of the complete application.
Again, a disability application is considered complete once a Social Security Award letter has
been received. This 45 day period may be extended by the Fund Administrator if it is
determined that, due to matters beyond the Fund's control, additional time is needed to make a
determination. This extension may be up to 30 days. The Fund Administrator will provide an
extension notice to the applicant that will indicate the reason for the extension and the date the
Fund expects to reach a decision. If, prior to the end of the 30-day extension the Fund
Administrator determines that, due to reasons beyond the Fund's control, a decision cannot be
given within the extension period, the decision period can be extended another 30 days. All
extension notices will include the standards on which entitlement to the benefit is based, the
unresolved issue that prevents a decision on an application, and any additional information
needed to resolve the issue. The applicant will be given at least 45 days to provide the required
information.
An applicant has certain rights to appeal a denial of benefits.
Applicants have 60 days from receipt of the notice of benefit denial to file an appeal. The
Board of Trustees will review the appeal at their next quarterly meeting, unless the appeal is
filed less than 30 days prior to the date of the next meeting. In such cases, the appeal will be
considered no later than the date of the second meeting following receipt of the appeal request.
If special circumstances require a further extension, the Board can make the decision no later
than the third meeting. Notice of the Board's decision will be provided no later than five days
after the decision is made.
An applicant has the right to bring a civil action under Section 502(a) of the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) following denial of an application
on appeal.
An applicant, or his or her legal guardian, may authorize another individual to act on his or her
behalf. This authorization must be made in writing, on a form provided by the Benefits Fund
Office. Once authorized, this representative may make inquiries and file appeals on behalf of
the applicant, and all written correspondence will be addressed to the representative unless the
Benefits Fund Office is directed otherwise by the applicant.
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