By Sandra Wisnewski, Director of the Mid-America Pension Rights Project at Elder Law of Michigan
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. The Pension Project works to find answers and solutions to your pension-related problem. Just ask Ms. I.
Ms. I was ready to retire and knew she was vested in her former employer’s pension plan, a local hospital. Ms. I had an eligibility certificate from her employer and her work record. However, every time she called the plan, she was told that she had no benefit. One representative told her that the records were too old; therefore, she was not owed anything. Another representative told her that she needed to work 15 years to be vested in the plan.
Ms. I got very frustrated and decided to call the MAPRP. The attorney assigned to her case immediately reached out to the plan. Because of the pandemic, the attorney either received no answer or was transferred and then disconnected. After a few tries, the attorney decided to send a certified letter to the attention of legal counsel. After a month, Ms. I received paperwork indicating that she would receive a one-time lump sum payment of her benefit. Ms. I was very happy that she finally was able to receive the pension she earned!
The Pension 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, the Pension Project has assisted over 15,000 clients and has recovered over 76 million dollars in pension benefits. The Pension Project assists clients that either worked in or are currently living in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. For more information, visit Mid-America Pension Rights Project.
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.
The information in this article is general and not intended to be a substitute for legal advice. In any legal matter you should always consider consulting with an attorney for specific advice.
Sandra Wisnewski is the Director of Legal Services at Elder Law of Michigan. Sandra has been a staff member of the Elder Law of Michigan team since 2010. As Director of Legal Services, Sandra manages the day-to-day operations of the pension department and helps clients who call for pension assistance.