Archives: PCIP Stories
From Zero to Two Pensions – With Help From the New England Pension Assistance Project
David Howell of Connecticut had worked in many different jobs for Stop & Shop from 1964 until 1991. He started work as a parking lot attendant and ended as a manager, so he was surprised to hear from Stop & Shop that, with all those years of work, he was not eligible for a pension. […]
South Central Pension Rights Project helps widow claim survivor benefit from Monsanto
Naomi Francisco’s husband worked as an engineer for Monsanto for 35 years and began receiving his pension in 1985. When her husband passed away, the payments suddenly stopped. Wondering why, Naomi contacted Monsanto’s benefit center and was told that her husband had elected a single-life annuity with no survivor benefit. Naomi was shocked because she […]
Mid-America Pension Rights Project works with Department of Labor to overturn wrongful benefit denial
Like many people approaching retirement, when Margaret turned 65 she contacted her former employer to apply for the pension she had earned during her career. Margaret was surprised when she was told that her former employer’s pension plan had been terminated and annuities had been purchased for all employees who were eligible to receive a […]
Upper Midwest Pension Rights Project helps widow avoid recoupment for overpayment
Pension plans can often make mistakes when calculating pension benefits. These errors can result in retirees, through no fault of their own, receiving pensions in the wrong amount. To correct their own mistakes, pension plans often ask retirees to repay the amount that has been overpaid. Below is a description of what happened when Annie*, […]
New England Pension Assistance Project locates pension for widow
When Katherine* suddenly became a widow at the age of 52, she contacted her husband’s past employers to inform them of his death. Among her husband’s employers was the public utility of a municipality where he had worked for nearly 10 years. Katherine knew that her husband had earned a pension while he was employed […]
Upper Midwest Pension Rights Project finds “lost” pension plan
There are many details to keep track of when companies are bought or sold, and sometimes a company’s pension plan can fall through the cracks. The company Jack* was employed by for more than 20 years was sold and later spun off into an independent entity. Jack had kept track of the company so he […]
Western States Pension Assistance Project wins survivor’s benefit for widow
When Vicki Lloyd’s family learned that her husband had a terminal illness, they wanted to make sure that Vicki was taken care of after he died. So they contacted her husband’s pension plan to ensure that Vicki would receive the 75 percent joint-and-survivor annuity that her husband had chosen. Vicki and her family were stunned […]
Mid-America Pension Rights Project locates “lost” pensions for 70 people
A common problem encountered by the staff of the pension counseling projects is “lost” pension plans. A pension plan can be “lost” when one company ends its business, merges with another, relocates or changes its name. The pension counseling projects are often contacted by people who no longer work for a company and are unaware […]
South Central Pension Rights Project verifies client’s earnings record to retrieve pension
When companies go out of business or change hands, their pension plans can be affected. Sometimes, a company will terminate its pension plan and purchase annuities from an insurance company for people who are entitled to receive benefits. Unfortunately, mistakes sometimes happen that can result in someone who should receive a pension slipping through the […]
Pension Rights Center Fellow helps widow receive pension
In addition to working with clients living in states not covered by a pension counseling project, the Pension Rights Center often provides legal advice to attorneys working with clients who have problems with their retirement plans. In this instance, we were contacted by an attorney who was working with Linda, a widow whose husband had chosen […]
A $500 pension after 15 years of hard work? Not so fast: Western States Pension Assistance Project recovers pension for retiree
Bill was surprised when he retired in 2002 and his employer handed him a check for $500 telling him that this was the retirement benefit he had earned after 15 years of work. Bill had worked for more than 15 years in sales at an auto parts distribution center and knew that he had earned […]
South Central Pension Rights Project saves a retiree from a $120,000 recoupment
As part of the Pension Counseling and Information Program, the Pension Rights Center receives calls from people who have problems with or questions about their retirement plans. The people who call us are often located within the jurisdiction of a Pension Counseling and Information Project. When this happens, we refer the callers to the appropriate counseling project […]
