by Sandra Wisnewski, J.D., Director of the Mid-America Pension Rights Project

The Mid-America Pension Rights Project (MAPRP) assists clients with pension and 401(k) issues. There are no age or income restrictions. And there is never a charge for the services. MAPRP works to find answers and solutions to your pension-related problem. Just ask Mr. J.

Mr. J worked for an exhaust company in the state where he lived. He knew that he had worked for the company for more than 10 years. Mr. J had called the company a couple of times, but was told that they had no record of his employment. Mr. J did not know the next step to take to dispute the determination.

Sometime later Mr. J’s wife read about MAPRP in the Elder Law of Michigan (ELM) newsletter. Mr. J contacted MAPRP. As soon as MAPRP received Mr. J’s documentation, an attorney was assigned to his case.

After some research and numerous phone calls the attorney was able to locate the current pension Plan Administrator. A letter was sent to the plan on Mr. J’s behalf. Shortly after, a response was received from the company indicating that an investigation was opened and it would be at least 6 months before a determination would be made.

After 4 months, the company finally contacted the attorney indicating that they did not have any record of his employment. The company requested a Social Security Earnings report. Mr. J filled out the required paperwork and requested the report. The report was received within 2 months and was submitted to the plan for verification of employment and years of service

Within a couple of months, Mr. J received a benefit packet indicating the amount of his lifetime benefit. Mr. J was very happy to finally receive his benefit. Mr. J had this to say about MAPRP, “I cannot speak highly enough about this service to provide counseling and information for retirees at no charge.” Without MAPRP’s assistance, Mr. J might not have received the pension benefit that he had earned.

The Mid-America Pension Rights Project is funded by the Federal government through a grant provided by the Administration for Community Living, and is a program of Elder Law of Michigan, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit.

Since the program began in 1998, MAPRP has assisted over 12,000 clients and has recovered over 56 million dollars in pension benefits. MAPRP assists clients that either worked in or are currently living in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. For more information, visit www.mid-americapensions.org.

If you need help with or information about your pension or 401(k) benefit, please call the Mid-America Pension Rights Project at 866.735.7737 to schedule an appointment with one of our experienced attorneys.