By Christine Steinmetz, Pension Attorney at 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 Mr. V.

Mr. V knew he was eligible for a pension from his former employer. However, the company had sold multiple times. Mr. V was not yet retirement age and was still working. Mr. V had not received any documentation regarding his pension from the employer over many years. Mr. V made many phone calls and thought he found the insurance company that was holding his pension benefit. After multiple phone calls and many months, the insurance company stopped responding to Mr. V. Mr. V was very upset and frustrated. Would he ever get his pension benefit?

That’s when Mr. V decided to contact the MAPRP. The case was assigned to an MAPRP attorney. The attorney sent a written inquiry to the same entity that Mr. V had been in contact with. The company responded to the attorney and said they located Mr. V’s pension benefit. The attorney was assured that a retirement packet would be sent to Mr. V within 30 days.

A month had passed, and Mr. V had not received his packet. The attorney contacted the company by phone and by written certified letter throughout an 8-month period. With each call back from the company, the attorney was referred to another contact person. The attorney followed up with each contact and was eventually put in touch with the Director of Retirement Services.

Mr. V finally received his retirement packet. The MAPRP attorney’s diligence and patience finally paid off! Mr. V was ecstatic, he would receive his lifetime monthly pension benefit when he reached age 65. Knowing who to contact and knowing the amount he would receive gives him peace of mind until he retires.

If you have questions about your 401(k) or defined benefit pensions, please call the Mid-America Pension Rights Project. 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 organization.

Since the program began in 1998, the Pension Project has assisted over 15,000 clients and recovered over 78 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 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.

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.  

Christine Steinmetz is a part-time Attorney at Elder Law of Michigan and has been a member of the Elder Law team since 2011. As an attorney at Elder Law, Christine advises clients on pension issues.