To request a pension estimate, the request must be made in writing; it can be faxed or mailed to the Fund Office. In the request, please include your name, CPF ID (or SSN if you do not know your CPF ID), the date of retirement, and, if you are married, your spouse's name and date of birth. Click here to fill out our Estimate Request Form.
No. Contributions made to this Fund by Participating Employers are only payable in the form of benefits to an eligible Retiree and/or Beneficiary.
Your record will be kept indefinitely by the Central Pension Fund. If you have 5 years of Vesting Service, have at least 1200 hours of Credited Future Service (1000 hours if your I.P.D. was January 1, 1982 or later) and at least one hour of service reported to the Fund on or after January 1, 1989 and prior to your 65th birthdate, you can apply for a benefit at your Normal Retirement Date. If you have 10 years of Vested Service, have at least 1200 hours of Credited Future Service (1000 hours if your I.P.D. January 1, 1982 or later), you may apply for a benefit at your Early Retirement Date.
Your record will be kept by the Central Pension Fund. If you never work as an operating engineer again, you or your Beneficiary(s) may not have a right to any benefit and if so, the contributions made on your behalf will be forfeited and absorbed into the Trust.
Twice each year active and/or vested Participants will receive a Statement of Fund Record from the Central Pension Fund, provided you have kept us advised of your correct mailing address.
Write to the Central Pension Fund and request a copy of your record.
Write to the Central Pension Fund and tell us the following: Your social security number, complete name and address Name and address of the employer(s) Locations of each job in question and local union jurisdictions The approximate dates worked on each job Number of hours worked on each job Copies of your pay stubs, if available.
Write the Central Pension Fund and advise us: Which Local Union's jurisdiction you were working in Number of hours worked Dates worked Names of your employers. With this information we can contact the administrator of the other plan and advise you if you have service with that plan, which we can recognize for vesting purposes.
The maximum Credited Future Service in a calendar year is one (1.00) year
The contributions are immediately deposited into interest-bearing accounts. They remain there for a short period of time and are then transferred to the investment accounts of the Central Pension Fund. The contributions are invested in common stocks, bonds, real estate, and other investment vehicles as permitted under the Fund's investment policies. All investments of the Fund are made on the basis of guidelines established by the Board of Trustees of the Central Pension Fund and are handled by independent professional investment managers.
Semi-annual statements are mailed directly to Participants for whom the Fund Office has an address. You should keep both the Fund Office and your Local Union office advised of any address changes.
You should find out whether you are going to be working for another Participating Employer. If so, your participation in the Central Pension Fund will continue. If you are unable to continue work for a Participating Employer, your previously earned credits will be maintained by the Fund Office; however, you will not earn additional credits until such a time as you return to work for a Participating Employer.
Your Accrued Benefit will be forfeited if you incur a Break In Service. For most participants this would only occur if you do not accrue the necessary years of Vesting Service, (5 years if you have hours reported to the Fund on or after January 1, 1989, otherwise, 10 years), prior to your 65th birthdate. A Break In Service occurs when the number of consecutive years during which no vesting service was earned equals or exceeds 5 or the number of prior years for which vesting service was earned. If you have a Vested Interest you cannot incur a Break In Service.
Your monthly benefit will be suspended if you return to work in disqualifying employment and exceed the provisions as described below. Benefits may be suspended upon your request prior to age 70 1/2 only. After age 70 1/2 we must pay you your benefit.
After you have retired and except for the first month of your retirement, you can return to work in a job classification which is covered by the IUOE or in the job classification for which we received contributions for you and continue to receive your monthly benefit provided you do not work more than 40 hours in a calendar month. You do not have a right to a monthly benefit for any month(s) in which you work more than 40 hours: with an employer engaged in an industry in the organizing jurisdiction of the IUOE, in which Participants covered by the Plan were employed and earned benefits at the time of your retirement, in a trade or craft for which you were employed at any time under the Plan, and in the geographic area covered by the Plan at the time your retirement began. Please note that for purposes of this rule, a trade or craft includes a related supervisory position. You are not eligible to commence receiving retirement benefits if you continue to work for your last contributing employer regardless of your job classification. Also, you are obligated to notify the Board of Trustees, in writing, of any post-retirement employment that exceeds 40 hours in a calendar month. If you do not, the Board may presume all your work is disqualifying employment, until you prove it is not.
No, there is no provision in the Plan of Benefits permitting or authorizing Participant loans.
To request another copy of your 1099-R, please use the Contact Us page on this site. Be sure to include the tax years needed in the message. Or you may call us at 202-362-1000 to request a copy.
To request a pension verification, the request must be made in writing; it can be faxed or mailed to the Fund Office. In the request, include your name and CPF ID (or SSN if you do not know your CPF ID). Also include the contact information for the recipient of the pension verification.
Participant Records Department Central Pension Fund 4115 Chesapeake Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20016-4665
Yes, in fact, you should find out before acting on a retirement decision. Send your written request to the Fund Office. Be sure to include your correct social security number or CPF ID number, full name and address.
We recommend that you file your application no more than four months, and no less than two months, before your desired retirement date.
Provided that your Application has been filed and processed in a timely manner, your first pension check will be issued in the first week of the month following the month in which you last worked. Regardless of whether your last day worked was the 1st, 15th, or 31st day of the month, your first pension check will be issued at the beginning of the next month. Therefore, if you work until the last day of the month you will minimize the time between your last paycheck and your first pension check. Your initial check will be a paper check that is mailed from our office.
Yes. However, you do not do this until you start receiving your benefit payments. The Fund Office will send you a 1099R. If you need further information, you should contact the Internal Revenue Service.
No. You may continue to work and earn more Credited Future Service, but your benefit will not begin until after you have retired.
You have a right to a Disability benefit if you become totally and permanently disabled, and have been awarded Disability benefits by the Social Security Administration in connection with such total and permanent disability. You must also have 15 years of Vesting Service, and be under the age of 55.
Yes, provided you elect a Joint and Survivor Annuity at the time you retire. This is the normal form of payment for a married participant.
Yes, write to the Central Pension Fund in Washington, D.C. requesting information on this service. The Fund will return the necessary form for you to complete.
Checks are issued the last working day of the month for the following month. January's check is dated January 1 and is mailed out the last working day of December. If you have elected to have your benefit sent directly to your bank via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), these monies are sent electronically to your bank by the first working day of each month. This is an excellent way to avoid lost, stolen, delayed, and misplaced benefit checks.
No, sometimes there is a delay due to holidays or heavy mail loads. However, if you have not received it by the 15th of the month, you should call the Fund Office collect and advise them.
You must also notify the Fund Office of any change in your address. You may do this by submitting U.S. Postal form 3576 or by advising us by mail.
It will depend on the form of payment you select at the time of retirement.
Generally, yes. The amount of the benefit will depend on your status with this Fund.
All retirement benefits under the Central Pension Fund, including benefits paid pursuant to a Qualified Domestic Relations Order, are only paid in the form of a monthly annuity.
If you are changing financial institutions, you must complete a new Authorization Agreement for Direct Deposit Form. However, if you are with the same financial institution and just wish to change your account number, you will need to send the change to the CPF office in writing.
The Central Pension Fund is a defined-benefit plan.
The Central Pension Fund and the IUOE are separate legal entities, but participation in the Central Pension Fund is limited to individuals represented by the IUOE.
No. Contributions from Participating Employers on behalf of participants are the sole contributory source for CPF. No individual contributions are permitted.
The Fund is administered by the Board of Trustees, half of whom represent the Participating Employers and half of whom represent the Participating Employees. The Trustees hire a staff which is under the direction of a salaried Chief Executive Officer who reports directly to the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees also retain legal counsel, actuary, consultants and auditors as needed in order to perform the tasks assigned to them by the Trust agreement and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974.
The Board of Trustees are the Administrators of the Plan. The Plan is called the Central Pension Fund of the International Union of Operating Engineers and Participating Employers. Its business address is 4115 Chesapeake Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20016-4665, the telephone number is (202) 362-1000, fax number is (202) 364-2913.
Mr. Joseph J. Shelton, Chief Executive Officer of the Fund is the person designated as agent for service of legal process at 4115 Chesapeake Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20016-4665.
Benefits under this Plan are insured by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), if the Plan terminates. Generally, the PBGC guarantees most vested normal age retirement benefits, early retirement benefits and certain disability and survivor pensions. However, the PBGC does not guarantee all types of benefits under covered plans; and the amount of benefit protection is subject to certain limitations.
The PBGC guarantees vested benefits at the level in effect on the date of plan termination. However, if benefits have been increased within five years before it terminates, the whole amount of the plan's vested benefits or the benefit increase may not be guaranteed. In addition, there is a ceiling on the amount of monthly benefits the PBGC guarantees which is adjusted periodically. Currently, the PBGC's maximum guarantee limit is $16.25 per month times a participant's years of service.
For more information on the PBGC insurance protection and its limitations, ask your Plan Administrator or the PBGC's . Inquiries to the PBGC should be addressed to the Technical Assistance Division, PBGC, 1200 K Street, N.W., Suite 930, Washington, D.C. 20005-4026. The PBGC may also be reached by calling (202) 326-4000 (not a toll free number). Additional information is available through the PBGC's web site at http://www.pbgc.gov.
The Plan is funded by employer contributions, which are held in trust pursuant to a Trust Agreement between the International Union of Operating Engineers and Participating Employers who have collective bargaining agreements with the International Union of Operating Engineers or affiliated local unions. Contributions are made by Participating Employers under the provisions of their respective Collective Bargaining Agreements.
Participating Employers pay a monthly amount based upon the hours worked and/or paid based on the provisions of the relevant Collective Bargaining Agreement. The amounts contributed are pre-tax contributions and are not considered employee wages for purposes of income tax or Social Security Tax.
CPF's assets are managed by professional managers who follow the investment objectives established by the Board of Trustees.
An Actuarial Valuation of this Fund is prepared annually.
This Fund is audited annually, and a financial statement is included with the Fund's annual Form 5500 filing. The Fund's audited financial statement is available upon written request.
The Plan Year is February 1 to January 31.
The Plan is sponsored by the International Union of Operating Engineers and Participating Employers who have signed a Collective Bargaining and/or Participation Agreement(s). The Participating Employers make payments in accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Local Union.
Merged Plans are pension plans which were established independently of the Central Pension Fund and later became a part of this Fund. If you were a participant in a plan that merged into the Central Pension Fund, your benefit will be calculated as specified in the merger agreement.
Reciprocity provides a means of combining service credits earned under the Central Pension Fund with service credits earned in other IUOE pension plans that have signed the International Union of Operating Engineers National Reciprocity Agreement (Related Pension Plans), so that you will have a right to a monthly benefit. You could benefit from this provision if your years of Vesting Service have been divided between the Central Pension Fund and one or more Related Pension Plans. The Central Pension Fund uses the pro-rata method in calculating reciprocity. To have a right to a pro-rata monthly benefit you must: be retired and not performing work for which hours and monies were being reported, have combined service credits with the Central Pension Fund and the Related Pension Plans that can be combined so that you would have a right to a benefit (that is, you have a Vested Interest in each plan), and have at least one (1) year of Credited Future Service in each plan based on actual participation.
Your contributions do earn interest through the Fund; however, the Plan is a defined-benefit plan where benefits are calculated on the basis of the contributions made by Participating Employers. It is not a savings account, an IRA, or a 401(k) plan and all assets are pooled. Thus, it would be improper to attribute the return on the Fund's assets to an individual participant. A defined-benefit plan such as the Central Pension Fund transfers the investment risk from the individual Participants to the Plan. It promises a known benefit with many additional features, something which cannot be determined under an IRA, savings account or 401(k) plan.
If a Participant or Beneficiary with the Central Pension Fund has passed away, please contact our office as soon as possible. We will provide you with further instructions.
In accordance with Section 101 of ERISA, on an annual basis, Participating Employers may submit a written request for an estimate of withdrawal liability, if any. Notwithstanding the foregoing, based on the Actuarial Valuation as of January 31, 2022, which reflected that the Fund had no Unfunded Vested Benefit liabilities as of that date, no employer who completely withdraws from participation during the February 1, 2022 through January 31, 2023 Plan Year has any exposure to potential withdrawal liability.
A Qualified Domestic Relations Order is a judgment, decree, or order (including approval of a property settlement agreement) that relates to the provision of child support, alimony payments, or marital property rights to a spouse, former spouse, child or other dependent of a participant, which is made pursuant to state domestic relations law (including community property law) and meets specific criteria under federal pension law.
An "alternate payee" is any spouse, former spouse, child or other dependent of a participant who is recognized by a domestic relations order as having a right to receive all, or a portion of, the benefits payable under the Central Pension Fund with respect to such participant.
In order for a former spouse (i.e., "alternate payee") to obtain any legally enforceable claim to a portion of a participant's accrued benefit under the Central Pension Fund, a court must enter an order satisfying the criteria for a Qualified Domestic Relations Order, as set forth under applicable federal pension law, 29 U.S.C. § 1056(d)(3), and pursuant to applicable state domestic relations law.
While we encourage you to include all of the information set forth in our sample language (see Question (5) below), at a minimum, a Qualified Domestic Relations Order under the Central Pension Fund must contain: the names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and birth dates of both the participant and the alternate payee; the correct name of the Plan-the Central Pension Fund of the International Union of Operating Engineers and Participating Employers; the dollar amount or percentage of the participant's accrued benefit to be awarded to the alternate payee; and the relevant marital period to be used to calculate the alternate payee's interest. The "marital period" is a period of time specified in the Qualified Domestic Relations Order upon which the division of the participant's benefit between the participant and the alternate payee is to be based. The marital period must fall within the period of the participant's participation in the Plan and must have a beginning date and an ending date, including the month, day and year. In addition, the order should clearly provide guidance with respect to the following issues: the alternate payee's rights, if any, to future accruals; future increased vesting and its effect on the alternate payee's interest in the participant's accrued benefit; and the effect of either the participant or the alternate payee predeceasing the other.
Yes. You can request a copy of sample language for Qualified Domestic Relations Orders, which has been approved by the Board of Trustees, by writing to our office at the address shown below: Central Pension Fund of the International Union of Operating Engineers and Participating Employers 4115 Chesapeake Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20016-4665 Fax No.: (202) 364-2913 Attn: Assistant Fund Counsel Please be sure to include the participant's name and Social Security number in your request.
Generally, one of two methods can be used to award an alternate payee an interest in a participant's accrued benefit pursuant to a Qualified Domestic Relations Order if the participant has not yet commenced receiving benefits. The most common method of dividing a participant's accrued benefit is to separate the benefit into two separate single life annuities, each subject to a 60 payment minimum guarantee. In the alternative, the alternate payee may receive a specific percentage or a specific dollar amount of the participant's monthly benefit accrued during the marital period.
If a participant has already begun receiving benefits under the Central Pension Fund, the alternate payee may only receive a specific percentage or a specific dollar amount of the participant's monthly benefit accrued during the marital period pursuant to a Qualified Domestic Relations Order. All calculations will take into consideration all payments made prior to the entry of such Qualified Domestic Relations Order.
All retirement benefits under the Central Pension Fund, including benefits paid pursuant to a Qualified Domestic Relations Order, are only paid in the form of a monthly annuity.
All retirement benefits under the Central Pension Fund, including benefits paid pursuant to a Qualified Domestic Relations Order, are only paid in the form of a monthly annuity.
Can an alternate payee receive a lump sum payment of his or her interest in the participant's accrued benefit pursuant to a Qualified Domestic Relations Order under the Central Pension Fund? No. With limited exceptions for death benefits, the Central Pension Fund's Plan of Benefits does not permit lump sum payments. As noted above, benefits are only payable in the form of a monthly annuity.
No. As noted above, there is no provision in the Central Pension Fund's Plan of Benefits for a lump sum distribution to a participant, beneficiary or alternate payee. Therefore, an alternate payee's interest in a participant's accrued benefit under the Central Pension Fund is not eligible for "roll over" into an individual retirement account or another tax-qualified plan.
Generally, an alternate payee may commence receiving benefits only after the participant has attained "Earliest Retirement Age" which, under the Central Pension Fund's Plan of Benefits, is the first day of the month following the month in which the participant attains age 55. If an alternate payee commences receipt of benefits prior to the participant's attainment of Normal Retirement Age (age 65), generally the alternate payee's benefits will be reduced in accordance with the Plan's requirements. Each alternate payee must advise the Board of Trustees of the Central Pension Fund in writing of his her desire to commence receipt of benefits. The alternate payee should include the effective date on which he or she would like benefits to commence.
A participant who is currently receiving benefits under the Central Pension Fund may only revoke his or her existing payment election on a prospective basis, pursuant to a Qualified Domestic Relations Order that is approved by our office and entered by a court having jurisdiction under applicable state law.
If the participant's benefit under the Central Pension Fund has been divided into two separate single life annuities, the death of the participant will not have any effect on the Plan benefits that are payable to the alternate payee; likewise, the death of the alternate payee will not have any effect upon the Plan benefits that are payable to the participant. If the Qualified Domestic Relations Order only awards the alternate payee a specified dollar amount or a specific percentage of the participant's monthly benefit accrued during a specified marital period, upon the participant's death, the alternate payee's right to receive benefits will be forfeited unless the Qualified Domestic Relations Order provides that the alternate payee is to be considered the surviving spouse for purposes of any Qualified Pre-Retirement Survivor Annuity or Qualified Joint and Survivor Annuity benefits under the Plan (see Questions (16 and (17) below). Similarly, under this scenario, an alternate payee's benefits will cease upon such alternate payee's death, subject to the Plan's 60 payment minimum guarantee.
If the participant's benefit is divided into two separate single life annuities, generally an alternate payee need not be considered the surviving spouse for purposes of a Qualified Pre-Retirement Survivor Annuity, because the participant's death will not affect the alternate payee's ability to obtain his or her own separate single life annuity. Although not generally written in this manner, a Qualified Domestic Relations Order could also provide that an alternate payee is to be considered the surviving spouse for purposes of any Qualified Pre-Retirement Survivor Annuity to the extent of the alternate payee's interest pursuant to the Qualified Domestic Relations Order. Note, however, that if an alternate payee is designated as surviving spouse for purposes of any Qualified Pre-Retirement Survivor Annuity, and if such alternate payee commences receiving a survivor annuity, such alternate payee's right to receive the separate single life annuity described in the first sentence of this paragraph would cease. If the alternate payee is awarded a specified percentage or a specific dollar amount of the participant's benefit, an alternate payee may be considered a surviving spouse for purposes of a Qualified Pre-Retirement Survivor Annuity if the Qualified Domestic Relations Order so provides.
If the participant's benefit under the Central Pension Fund is divided into two separate single life annuities, an alternate payee may not also be considered a surviving spouse for purposes of a Qualified Joint and Survivor Annuity, since doing so may cause the Plan to pay increased benefits. If, however, the alternate payee is only awarded a specified percentage or a specific dollar amount of the participant's monthly benefit accrued during a specific marital period, an alternate payee may be considered a qualified spouse for purposes of a Qualified Joint and Survivor Annuity, if the Qualified Domestic Relations Order so provides.
If an alternate payee dies before benefits payable to him or her have been distributed in full pursuant to a Qualified Domestic Relations Order under the Central Pension Fund, any death benefits will be paid to the alternate payee's designated beneficiary. If the alternate payee has not designated a beneficiary or if the designated beneficiary does not survive the alternate payee, any death benefits will be paid to the alternate payee's estate. It is the policy of the Central Pension Fund that an alternate payee may only designate a beneficiary after benefit payments commence to such alternate payee.
If additional benefits are earned based upon a participant's Plan participation subsequent to the date on which a Qualified Domestic Relations Order is entered by the court, the alternate payee's interest in the participant's accrued benefit under the Central Pension Fund generally will not be increased unless the terms of the Qualified Domestic Relations Order specifically provide for such an increase.
Yes. Although a participant may not have been vested at the time the Qualified Domestic Relations Order was entered by the court, an alternate payee will be entitled to receive the benefits awarded to him or her under the Central Pension Fund pursuant to the Qualified Domestic Relations Order if the participant later becomes vested, but the amount of the benefit will be based upon the marital period set forth in the Qualified Domestic Relations Order. If the participant does not have a vested interest under the Central Pension Fund at the time the Qualified Domestic Relations Order is entered by the court, and the participant does not subsequently becomes vested, the alternate payee's benefits under the Qualified Domestic Relations Order will be forfeited.
If a Qualified Domestic Relations Order awards an alternate payee a portion of a participant's benefits earned during a specified marital period, and the value of the benefits earned during such period increases due to a Plan amendment after the Qualified Domestic Relations Order is entered by the court, the portion of the benefits awarded to the alternate payee will generally be increased in accordance with the Plan amendment unless the Qualified Domestic Relations Order specifically provides that the amount payable to the alternate payee will be determined without regard to any future Plan amendments increasing benefits.
If a participant is currently receiving disability benefits under the Central Pension Fund, the Qualified Domestic Relations Order must specify whether the alternate payee is entitled to share in the disability benefits payable to the participant before the participant attains Normal Retirement Age. The Qualified Domestic Relations Order must also specify the amount or percentage of such benefits awarded to the alternate payee. If the participant has not qualified for disability benefits under the Central Pension Fund at the time the Qualified Domestic Relations Order is entered by the court, but qualifies at a later date, the alternate payee will share in such disability benefits only if the Qualified Domestic Relations Order so provides. If the Qualified Domestic Relations Order is silent with respect to disability retirement, the alternate payee will not be entitled to receive a portion of any disability benefits payable to the participant.
Under the law, an alternate payee has the status of a "beneficiary." Accordingly, copies of documents, announcements, descriptive materials, and other general information given to or generally made available to beneficiaries under the Central Pension Fund will be furnished to an alternate payee.
Yes. Within a reasonable time (typically, one month) after it receives a proposed Qualified Domestic Relations Order, the Central Pension Fund will review and provide comments concerning the qualified status of a proposed order. Please mail or fax your request to the address shown above.