This section describes the death benefits payable to your surviving spouse or beneficiary if you should die prior to receiving benefits from this Plan. If you are a married Participant, your surviving spouse may be eligible to receive a Pre-Retirement Marital Annuity. If you are single, your beneficiary maybe eligible to receive a Pre-Retirement Lump Sum Death Benefit. Both benefits are described below.
PRE-RETIREMENT MARITAL ANNUITY
If you are a married Participant, a Pre-Retirement Marital Annuity protects your spouse if you should die prior to receiving a pension benefit, if:
- You have achieved Vested status; and
- You and your spouse have been married during the one year prior to your death.
The Pre-Retirement Marital Annuity is payable for your spouse’s lifetime.
If you die after becoming eligible for Early Retirement Benefits, your surviving spouse will receive an amount equal to 100% of your Early Retirement Benefit beginning the first of the month following the month in which you died.
If you die prior to becoming eligible for Early Retirement Benefits, the amount payable to your surviving spouse will be equal to 100% of your Early Retirement Benefit. Benefits to your spouse will begin on the first of the month following the month in which you would have become eligible for Early Retirement Benefits had you lived.
Exception:
- Noncovered Glazing Service. If your benefits are frozen as a result of work in Noncovered Glazing Service as of July 1, 1997, your benefits are subject to adjustment for early retirement (if you are younger than age 62 on your date of death) and your surviving spouse will then receive pre-retirement death benefits in accordance with the 50% Marital Annuity (including adjustment factors) that was in effect on the date of your benefit freeze.
- Rehabilitation Plan – Recommended and Default Schedules. Note that changes made to how Early Retirement Benefits are calculated under either the Recommended or Default Schedules will similarly affect how the Early Retirement Benefit portion of the Pre-Retirement Marital Annuity is calculated.
If your beneficiary is your surviving spouse and your surviving spouse is receiving a Pre-Retirement Marital Annuity, the Pre-Retirement Lump Sum Death Benefit (described below) shall not be payable.
PRE-RETIREMENT LUMP SUM DEATH BENEFIT
If you are a Participant and you die before retirement, your beneficiary will be entitled to a Pre-Retirement Lump Sum Death Benefit if you had earned at least 1½ Years of Benefit Accrual Credit and your spouse is not entitled to a Pre-Retirement Marital Annuity. The amount of the Pre-Retirement Lump Sum Death Benefit is based on your Years of Benefit Accrual Credit in accordance with the following table:
| Lump Sum Death Benefit | ||
|---|---|---|
| Years of Benefit Accrual Credit | Weekly Contribution Rate Under $30 | Weekly Contribution Rate of $30 or More |
| Less than 1½ | None | None |
| 1½ up to 5 | $ 6,667 | $10,000 |
| 5 up to 10 | 10,000 | 15,000 |
| 10 up to 15 | 13,333 | 20,000 |
| 15 up to 20 | 16,667 | 25,000 |
| 20 up to 25 | 20,000 | 30,000 |
| Etc., increasing in 5-year groups | Etc., increasing in $3,333 units | Etc., increasing in $5,000 units |
If you had ever received Disability Retirement Benefits which were terminated because your disability ended, then the above Lump Sum Death Benefit will be reduced by the amount that was actually paid to you as disability benefits.
If a Lump Sum Death Benefit exceeds $20,000 and is payable to only one beneficiary, instead of the lump-sum payment, that beneficiary can elect to have the benefit paid in equal installments over a period of not more than 60 months. The money will be separately invested in an interest-bearing account with the interest accruing to the beneficiary.
Exceptions:
- Rehabilitation Plan – Recommended Schedule. The Pre-Retirement Lump Sum Benefit is not available to surviving beneficiaries of Participants who die on or after July 1, 2011.
- Rehabilitation Plan – Default Schedule. Although the Pre-Retirement Lump Sum Benefit continues to be available, Years of Benefit Accrual Credit earned on or after July 1, 2011 will not be counted when calculating the amount of the Pre-Retirement Lump Sum Benefit.
If your beneficiary is your surviving spouse and your surviving spouse is receiving a Pre-Retirement Marital Annuity, the Pre-Retirement Lump Sum Death Benefit shall not be payable.
Download the Pre-Retirement Death Benefits or the Post-Retirement Death Benefit Applications.
NAMING A BENEFICIARY
You may name anyone as beneficiary to receive any payments due upon your death. You can also change your beneficiary at any time. However, if you are married, your spouse must consent to your naming a non-spouse beneficiary. This can only be done by you and your spouse properly completing a waiver form provided by the Plan Office.
If a beneficiary is not named, or if the named beneficiary dies before receiving the full 60 benefit payments under the Life Annuity, the remainingpayments will be payable in the following order:
- surviving spouse,
- surviving children in equal shares,
- surviving beneficiary designated in the Participant’s Union Book, or
- your estate.
If you have named your spouse as beneficiary, that designation is automatically revoked if the marriage is dissolved, unless a qualified domestic relations order provides otherwise.
Download the Beneficiary Designation form
Important
You should be sure that you have a BENEFICIARY CARD on file with the Plan Office and if so, that it is up to date. You may obtain a BENEFICIARY CARD from the Plan Office or your local Union office.