UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BENEFITS & PENSION
Spousal Changes
A change in one’s partner — including marriage, separation, divorce or the incapacitation or death of a spouse — can impact many areas of life, including your benefits and pension. It’s important to keep UA Local 67 Benefits aware of changes in your marital status, to ensure your benefits are handled accurately.
Marriage or Common Law
An eligible spouse is defined as a person of either sex who is living with you in a conjugal relationship and is:
- Legally married to you, or
- Your common-law partner of more than 12 months.
You can only cover one spouse at a time under the plan.
Health & Welfare Plan
When you begin a marriage or common law relationship, you must notify UA Local 67 Benefits to request a new Welfare Enrollment/Change Form to add a new spouse to your Health and Dental benefits. You may also wish to update your life insurance beneficiaries (in the same form) to include your new spouse.
Pension Plan
Marriage or common law status has special implications with respect to your Pension Plan, so it’s important that you notify UA Local 67 Benefits if there is any change in your marital status.
If you are not living with your spouse, they will not automatically qualify as your spouse under Ontario pension law — even if you are legally married — and would need to be added as a beneficiary to qualify for any death benefits from the Pension Plan. Find the Pension Enrollment/Change Form.
If you become married or common-law after your pension begins, your new spouse will not qualify for pension survivor benefits. However, if you have been retired less than 10 years and chose the 10-year guarantee option, you can name your new partner as your beneficiary.
Separation or Divorce
Health & Welfare Plan
Notify UA Local 67 Benefits as soon as possible of any divorce or separation and provide relevant documentation. You can request a new Welfare Enrollment/Change Form to update your beneficiaries and/or remove your spouse from the Health & Welfare Plan. If you were to pass away without removing your ex-spouse as a beneficiary, benefits would go to them, which may not reflect your current wishes.
An ex-spouse may remain on your plan if specified in your separation agreement, but only one spouse can be covered at a time.
Pension Plan
If you become divorced or separated, your legal agreement may specify the actions to be taken. As your pension is a family asset, your separation agreement or court order may specify whether your spouse has given up their rights to your pension plan, or how your pension benefits must be divided.
Find the Pension Plan Enrollment/Change Form to update your pension beneficiaries.
Loss of Spouse’s Legal Capacity
If your spouse loses legal capacity due to an injury or illness and can no longer make decisions, you can complete a new Welfare Plan Enrollment/Change Form and Pension Plan Enrollment/Change Form to appoint a Trustee. This Trustee will manage life insurance and pension death benefits, or if applicable, the survivors pension, on the beneficiary’s behalf in the event of your passing.
Death of a Spouse
You must notify UA Local 67 Benefits in the event of your spouse’s death if they are covered under your Health or Dental plan, even though there is no life insurance for dependents.
You have 90 days following the death of your dependent to submit any Health, Dental, or HCSA claims to GreenShield for reimbursement.
You will also need to update your life insurance and pension beneficiaries to remove your spouse. If you were to pass away without removing your spouse as a beneficiary, benefits such as life insurance or pension would go to any contingent beneficiaries, or else paid to your estate, which may incur probate fees, estate taxes, and creditor claims, and takes longer to get into the hands of your preferred recipients.
Please contact UA Local 67 Benefits to complete a new Welfare Enrollment/Change Form and Pension Plan Enrollment/Change Form to update your covered dependents and beneficiaries.
Important Things to Do
- Request the Welfare Plan Enrollment/Change Form and/or Pension Plan Enrollment/Change Form to update your marital status, spouse information, and beneficiaries
- Send a certified copy of your separation agreement or court order to UA Local 67 Benefits, to ensure your pension benefits are handled accurately when you retire or pass away.
Need More Information?
To learn more, refer to your Pension Plan Booklet or Benefits Booklet, or reach out to the UA Local 67 Benefits team.