This Handbook provides an overview of federal laws affecting the elderly and retirement issues. Information discussed includes age discrimination in employment, elder abuse & exploitation, power of attorney & guardianship, Social Security and other retirement and pension plans, Medicare, and much more in 22 pages of materials.
Erisa Law And Beneficiaries In Riverside
Category:
State:
Multi-State
County:
Riverside
Control #:
US-001HB
Format:
Word;
PDF;
Rich Text
Instant download
Description
Free preview
Form popularity
FAQ
Only employers who offer their employees retirement, health, or other employer-sponsored benefits must comply with ERISA requirements. Notwithstanding, government employers are not subject to ERISA even though they offer pensions and healthcare benefits as part of their compensation packages.
Anyone who works for a private-sector organization which sponsors retirement benefits such as pension plan or a 401(k) plan (or 403(b) for non-profits) receives an ERISA-governed benefit that becomes vested; i.e., non-forfeitable so long as the employee works for the employer for a sufficient number of years.
ERISA governs the claim only if ERISA covers the plan involved in the claim. ERISA applies to most employee benefit plans, including employee health and retirement plans. ERISA does not cover certain plans, such as government plans and church plans.
Submit a Written Request You can send a formal letter or email to the plan administrator requesting specific documents. To ensure clarity, include the following details in your request: Your name and contact information; Your employee ID number (if applicable);
ERISA applies to private-sector companies that offer pension plans to employees. This includes businesses that: Are structured as partnerships, proprietorships, LLCs, S-corporations, and C-corporations. No matter how your employer has structured his or her business, it is covered by ERISA if it is a private entity.
In general, ERISA does not cover plans established or maintained by governmental entities, churches for their employees, or plans which are maintained solely to comply with applicable workers compensation, unemployment or disability laws.
Generally, an ERISA plan participant can select just about anyone to be their beneficiary. Typically, a plan participant selects their spouse, children, or other family members.
Federal law sets minimum requirements, but a plan may be more generous. Generally, a plan may require an employee to be at least 21 years old and to have a year of service with the company before the employee can participate in a plan.
A claimant must pursue at least one ERISA appeal before filing suit. This is known as the exhaustion of administrative remedies doctrine. A claimant can typically file a lawsuit after the first appeal, although some plans do require a mandatory second appeal before litigation can commence.