FAQ’s

New England Teamsters Pension Fund
1 Wall Street 4th, Floor
Burlington, MA 01803-4757

Local#	781-345-4400
Toll Free	800-447-7709
Pensioner Line	877-638-3899
Fax	781-345-4402

 

The Fund Office is open Monday through Friday between 8 AM to 4 PM. You do not need to schedule an appointment; a Pension Benefit Specialist will be available to assist you. The Fund Office is closed all Major Holidays.

The Fund has a Field Representative that visits all the Locals Unions in New England. He is available, by appointment, to answer and questions you may have regarding your pension benefits and to assist you with applying for your pension. If you cannot come to Burlington MA and would like to visit with the Field Representative, please call your Local Union to schedule an appointment. The Fund does not make Field Representative appointments from Burlington; the Local Unions control the schedule.

If you are not currently receiving a pension you can perform the following actions via the Member Login:

• Update your Profile information, such as your address, date of birth, and phone numbers.
• Update your Beneficiary Information.
• Track Hours credited to you by your Employer.
• Calculate your Current Pension Amount, Project Future Benefit Amounts based on future service.

If you are currently receiving a pension you can perform the following actions via the Retiree Login:

• Update your Profile information, such as your address and phone numbers.
• Update your tax withholding elections.
• Check your pension payments to date.
• Request a duplicate 1099-R tax form.

You become an Active Member in the Fund once you work at least 750 hours in Covered Employment in the first 12 months of Covered Employment or work at least 750 hours in Covered Employment in any subsequent calendar year. To maintain your status as an Active Member you need to have been credited an Hour of Service in Covered Employment in this Fund within a twelve (12) consecutive month period.

If you have not been credited with an Hour of Service in Covered Employment in this Fund for twelve (12) consecutive months you become an Inactive Member in the Fund. Once you become an Inactive Member, you cannot begin your pension before your Normal Retirement Age. Normal Retirement Age is age 64 under the Regular Schedule of Benefits and age 65 under the Alternative Schedule of Benefits.

Yes, if you are credited with at least 750 hours of service in a Calendar Year after becoming an Inactive Member, you will regain your Active Member status.

Yes, as long as you meet each of the following qualifications for Early Retirement:

• You have earned have at least 15 years of Pension Credit,

• You are at least age 55,

• Your most recent period of Covered Employment is under a Collective Bargaining Agreement that conforms to the Maintenance of Benefits requirements, and

• You are not an Inactive Member.

You must file a completed pension application with the Fund at least one full calendar month prior to your retirement date. We recommend that you file your pension application at least 3 to 6 months prior to your retirement date (always the 1st of the month), so we can fully execute the process in a timely manner. Please call the Fund at 800-447-7709 to request a pension application. If you would like assistance in completing the application, visit the Fund Office at 1 Wall Street, 4th Floor, Burlington MA. The Fund’s office hours are Monday through Friday between 8 AM to 4 PM. Appointments recommended. Retirement counseling sessions average 30 minutes in duration. Appointments made in advance are recommended because this allows our Pension Analysts to research your information before your arrival. Walk ins are welcome and will be seen based on Pension Analyst availability. Or, you may call your Local Union to schedule a meeting with the Fund’s Field Representative to assist you.

You need to complete an application for Disability Benefits. The process is the same as applying for a retirement pension. In order to qualify for a disability benefit, you must have a determination by the Social Security Administration that you are entitled to a Social Security Disability benefit. In addition, you must be an active participant entitled to the Regular Schedule of benefits with at least 10 years of contributory credit, as well as meet the actively engaged test of at least 18 months of credit in the three years preceding your Disability Onset Date.

You need to complete an application for Surviving Spouse benefits. The process is the same as applying for a retirement pension. Please call the Fund Office at 800-447-7709 and we will assist you. If your spouse was receiving a pension at the time of death and elected the Husband and Wife Option, you are the qualified spouse and will receive a pension based on the form of payment that was elected on your spouse’s pension application. If your spouse receiving a pension at the time of death and elected the Single Life Annuity on the pension application, no survivor pension is payable. If your spouse had a vested right to a benefit and was not receiving a pension at the time of death, please call the Fund Office at 800-447-7709 and we will determine the earliest date that you can begin your surviving spouse pension. In order to be considered a Qualified Spouse, you must be married for at least one full year. Unless your information is already on file with the Fund, we will request certain documents from you, such as your birth certificate and marriage certificate.

Under law, your pension may or may not be assigned in a divorce settlement. If any part of your pension is assigned, you will need to submit to the Fund a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) which assigns a share of your pension to the alternate payee. The Fund does not prepare the QDRO. All QRDOs submitted to the Fund must comply with the Fund’s procedures, and the QDRO must be registered with a court of law. To ensure that the QDRO complies with the Fund’s procedures, please submit the QDRO to the Fund for review and approval. Please call the Fund Office at 800-447-7709 and ask to speak to the QDRO analyst.

Pension Credit is earned based on the number of hours you work in Covered Employment in each calendar year. If you are eligible for the Regular Schedule of benefits, 12 months of Pension Credit is earned by working at least 1,800; 2 months of Pension Credit is earned by working 375 hours. If you are eligible for the Alternative Schedule of benefits, 12 months of Pension Credit is earned by working at least 2,000; 6 months of Pension Credit is earned by working 750 hours.

If you are eligible for the Regular Schedule of benefits, a year of Vesting Credit is earned for each calendar year in which you work at least 750 hours in covered employment. You will become fully vested upon earning 5 years of Vesting Credit. If you are eligible for the Alternative Schedule of benefits, a year of Vesting Credit is earned for each calendar year in which you work at least 1,000 hours in covered employment. You will become fully vested upon earning 3 years of Vesting Credit.

No. Some Teamster employers do not participate in the Fund, even though the employees may be covered by a Teamster collective bargaining agreement. Please contact your Local Union for additional information.

You cannot participate in the Fund if you are a manager, supervisor, business partner, sole proprietor, or business owner with supervisory authority, or if you are self-employed. If you have been covered by the Fund prior to transferring to a management position with the same employer, you may still be able to earn Vesting Service.

Yes. Please provide the Fund with the proper legal documents. These changes cannot be made over the phone and must be handled in writing.

Yes. Your name will still appear on your pension checks, even if you have named a guardian or have authorized a designee as power of attorney. The powers granted by these types of documents vary depending on the specific language contained in the documents and applicable state laws where you live. In most states, a guardian or conservator who is appointed by a court will be able deposit a pension check in your name.

Yes. However, the check will still be payable to you.

Yes. The Fund pays all new pensions by Direct Deposit. The Fund will only deposit your pension into an account that has your name on it. The Fund is not allowed to assign your pension benefits to anyone other than you. Joint bank accounts are acceptable, provided your name is on the account. Please click on the Online Forms link and print a Direct Deposit form to submit to the Fund. The Fund does not accept Direct Deposit changes over the phone.

You must notify the Fund in writing prior to beginning any post-retirement employment by submitting an “Employment After Retirement Form” available in the Online Forms link. This notification is required for any post-retirement employment. If you do not notify the Fund of any post-retirement employment, the Fund has the right to suspend your pension. The Fund will not provide post-retirement employment determinations over the phone, such determinations will be disclosed in writing.

The Fund will review the job description submitted and make a determination as to whether the job is considered Disqualifying Employment.

• If you are working in Disqualifying Employment after retirement, you may work up to a maximum of 80 hours per month without penalty.

• If you are working in Non-Disqualifying Employment after retirement, you may work an unlimited number of hours without penalty.

• If you are over age of 70 and collecting a pension, you may work an unlimited number of hours in any type of employment without penalty.

If the Fund receives information that you are working in Disqualifying Employment, the Fund has the right to recover any pension benefits that were paid to you during the months that you were working in Disqualifying Employment.

Please make sure to notify the Fund if you are considering working after retirement.

Please keep your address current by calling the Fund Office directly at 800-447-7709 or update your information through the Member or Retiree portal. The Local Unions and Health and Welfare Funds are separate entities that do not share address information.
If you are a receiving a pension and have an incorrect address on file, the Fund will suspend your monthly pension until your valid address is confirmed. This policy is for your security, as well as ours, to confirm that you are receiving your benefits and important Fund mailings.

Call your local Social Security or visit their website, ssa.gov.

No. Your pension benefit is not affected or offset by amounts you may receive from Social Security. You can find out about Social Security Benefits at ssa.gov.

Possibly. If you are vested or you are the surviving spouse of a vested member, you may be entitled to a benefit from the Fund. Please call the Fund at 800-447-7709.

Yes. Your monthly pension benefit is considered taxable by the Internal Revenue Service. You may elect to have federal taxes withheld by completing an election Form W-4P. Please call the Fund Office at 800-447-7709 for assistance. You should also check with your tax or revenue department in the state of your residence concerning retirement benefit tax liability.

You may change your federal tax withholding election as often as you like, provided you do so in writing or by completing IRS Form W-4P. Your election will stay in effect until you change it or revoke it. Please call the Fund Office at 800-447-7709 for assistance.

Your tax withholding is based on the election you make on Form W-4P, which you submit as part of the pension application process. If you did not complete and submit a Form W-4P, taxes will be withheld as if you are married claiming three deductions.

Yes. Your monthly Disability Benefits are considered taxable by the Internal Revenue Service. The Fund will withhold Federal taxes based on your tax withholding election on Form W-4P.

The Fund withholds Massachusetts State taxes upon request ONLY. If your state or local tax authority requires that you pay taxes on your benefits, you may need to make payments to them directly. If you have questions regarding state or local taxes contact your state or local tax authorities.

No. You should seek advice from a professional tax advisor, or contact the IRS by calling 800-829-1040 or visiting the IRS website, irs.gov.

No. It is your responsibility to request any tax withholding changes after you retire. The Fund does not automatically adjust your tax withholding.

Forms 1099-R are mailed on or before January 31st for pension benefits paid during the previous calendar year.

The Fund is required by federal law to provide a Form 1099-R to anyone who received pension benefits during the tax year. This information is also provided to the IRS.

The Fund mails Form 1099-R to the home address on file for you. If you moved or changed your address and did not inform the Fund, you may not receive your Form 1099-R in a timely manner. Please call the Fund at 800-447-7709 to update your address immediately.

You can print your own Form 1099-R from our secure website. To view or print your Form 1099-R, log into  the Retiree Login with your username and password then navigate to the Tax Forms tab.
If you have not received your Form 1099-R by February 15 or are unable to print one, you may request a duplicate copy by calling the Fund Office at 800-447-7709. You may request a duplicate copy of your Form 1099-R by sending an email via the Contact Us link and the Fund will mail the duplicate Form 1099-R to you.

The Fund must report different types of pension payments on different Forms 1099-R. If you received more than one type of pension payment, the Fund prepares a separate Form 1099-R for each type. The distribution code on Box 7 of your Form 1099-R identifies the type of pension payment you received. For example, you may have received multiple Forms 1099-R if you:

• Received your own Retirement or Disability Benefit and a Survivor or Beneficiary Benefit from a former Fund Plan Participant.

• Received a Disability Benefit at the beginning of the year and then switched to a Retirement Benefit later in the year.

• Received a Survivor Benefit and a Lump Sum Death Benefit from a former Fund Plan Participant.

• Distribution Code 2 - Pensioner received pension payments and was 59 ½ as of the end of the Calendar Year (Early Retire Exception Applies; NO 10% Penalty Tax).

• Distribution Code 3 - Pensioner received disability pension payments.

• Distribution Code 4 - Pensioner received a survivor pension from a former plan participant of the Fund.

• Distribution Code 7 - None of the above apply.

The Fund is not required to report the retiree health insurance premiums you paid on Form 1099-R. However, the amount of retiree health insurance premiums deducted from your pension during the tax year is shown on your Form 1099-R for your convenience. See the bottom left of Copy C, For Recipient’s Records, under the label “Sent to Health Fund”.

You may be required to re-file your income tax returns for prior tax years if you used the information from the original Form 1099-R from the Fund. The IRS generally allows taxpayers to file amended tax returns for up to three years after the original due date of the return. If you have questions, you should contact the IRS by calling 1-800-829-1040 or visiting the IRS website, irs.gov.

No. An incorrect address does not require a corrected Form 1099-R. However, please contact the Fund at 1-800-447-7709 to update your address or update your information through the Retiree portal.

Upon your request, the Fund will review your Form 1099-R information and issue a corrected Form 1099-R, if necessary. If the Fund determines that the original Form 1099-R is correct, the Fund will contact you to provide an explanation.

Yes. The Fund provides retirement and related benefits for eligible employees of contributing employers. The Fund is a qualified retirement plan as defined in Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.