You put in 31 years working exclusively for union shops that contributed to your multi-employer pension plan. That’s part of the reason you were dedicated to your union, viewing it as insurance for fair treatment while working and after retirement. Now you’re ready to retire. According to your pension plan, you only worked 21 years, and no contributions were made for the other 10 years. Who ya gonna call?

You worked for a manufacturer from 1960 to 1977 and they were sold to a company that went out of business. Another company bought the assets of the business. Where’s your pension plan? Who ya gonna call?

Every time you calculate your pension benefit from a large reputable company, you come up with the same answer, and it’s different from what your employer is paying you. You’ve requested review, but they say they are correct. Who ya gonna call?

You were divorced 15 years ago and the decree provided that you would receive half of the pension plan. Your ex-spouse has died and the pension has stopped. The plan administrator says you do not have any additional money coming. Who ya gonna call?

You’re sick and broke and your only source of money is that 401(k) plan that you built up for 25 years. Your plan administrator says any money you take will be taxable and have a 10 percent penalty. Who ya gonna call?

Every time you mix your money (and it is your money) with rules and regulations meant to cover millions of people, confusion and questions become part of the system. Answers are as complicated as those rules. 

The Upper Midwest Pension Rights Project (UMPRP) was created by the Agency on Aging because problems like these, and many others, arise in pensions. There is no place the average person can go, unless they want to spend significant money on attorneys. If you’re being shorted by $175 per month, it’s not worth going to an attorney, but the loss can be very important to you. The service of UMPRP is free of charge and it puts knowledgeable people in contact with administrators of the plan. That’s a very important step in solving the problem. The Project talks their language and know the rules as well as they do. They may be doing it correctly, but more than $3 million dollars was recovered through UMPRP last year for plan participants who were not receiving everything they had earned.

Even if a plan is acting within the rules, they often have options if circumstances warrant a change. A hardship may demand a change, or the plan may have the option to change a method of payment. These changes may require nothing more than making the plan administrator aware of the option and a demonstration of the need.

The lost pension plan is a major portion of the cases we see. Sales and bankruptcies of businesses can cause major questions regarding your money. Has the government taken over the plan through the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation? Was it merged with another plan? Is there a remnant of the original company that now has responsibility for the pension plan? There are ways to find plans, and we usually do locate them. 

UMPRP also has a pension actuary who volunteers his time to determine if the plan has acted properly. In one case, a calculation of the benefit for an employee was all that was needed for the plan to issue back payments and new monthly amounts.

Divorce is one of the most common causes of questions about pension rights. Were you awarded part of the pension plan in the divorce decree? Was a Qualified Domestic Relations Order filed with the plan? Did the plan issue the correct form of annuity payment?

Very few cases result in litigation. If it’s necessary, UMPRP has a list of  attorneys who understand pension plans and who will work pro bono when appropriate.

Whatever issues you have with your pension, UMPRP provides a professional source for you to obtain answers about one of your most important assets. If you have a question, call 651/645-0261 or toll free 877/645-0261. The UMPRP is a decades-long community program provided at the Minnesota Senior Federation’s St. Paul office for anyone who has pension issues.