In most cases, a participant in the Plan who has earned a minimum of five years of vesting service will be eligible to receive a benefit. However, if a participant ended work in covered employment before October 1, 1999 they will typically need 10 years of vesting service in order to be eligible to receive a benefit.
Vesting service means the length of time a participant works for a contributing employer. One year of vesting service requires a minimum of 1,000 hours of covered employment.
There are five different types of pensions available under the Pension Plan. Each type of pension is eligible for the Joint and Survivor payment option if the participant is married. Read our summary for more information on the five types of pensions.
A Joint and Survivor Option (J&S Option) provides continued payment to your spouse in the event you die prior to your spouse, after you retire. The participant’s monthly pension will be reduced when a J&S Option is in place. You can read more about the J&S Option.
If you die before retiring, your benefit will be paid to your surviving spouse according to the 50% Joint and Survivor benefit. The earliest your spouse may collect the benefit is as of your 55th birthday, in which case early retirement reduction factors will apply. If you die after you have retired and started receiving benefits from the Plan, your spouse will continue to receive payments if you elected one of the Joint and Survivor options.
Yes. Participants who work in the construction division, as well as other divisions, may be eligible for a benefit from the National Electric Benefit Fund (“NEBF”) and/or the I.B.E.W. Pension Plan, depending on their collective bargaining agreement and charter status. For information about the NEBF pension, visit their website at http://www.nebf.com/ or call (301) 556-4300. For information about the I.B.E.W. pension, please call (800) 733-4239.
Participants who work in the Elevator Division should contact the Elevator Division Retirement Benefit Plan at (212) 689-4204.
Yes! It is very important that participants who are disabled read and follow these rules carefully!
If you are collecting Workers' Compensation benefits, you must apply for a Disability Pension from the Pension Plan no later than two years after the effective date of the first Workers' Compensation payment you receive. If you are not receiving Workers' Compensation payments, but are totally disabled and not employed by a contributing employer immediately prior to the application for a Disability Pension, you must apply to the Pension Plan within two years after the initial date of disability.
You should not wait until you have received your total and permanent disability award from Social Security to file your application with the Pension Department. Receipt of the Social Security award may take longer than two years and if you have not applied for the Disability Pension within the two years stated above, you will no longer be eligible for a Disability Pension.
If your pension application is filed more than two years after the effective date of your first Workers' Compensation payment or the initial date of your disability if you are not receiving Workers' Compensation benefits, you will not be eligible to apply for a Disability Pension.
