UA Local 447 Pipe Trades Trust Funds

Return to Work After Retirement

When you retire from the Plumbing and Piping industry, you may work in other industries and continue to receive your Pension; however, your monthly benefits from the Plan will be suspended if you return to work in the Plumbing and Piping industry, except for certain very limited exceptions. If you are considering returning to work, review carefully the information on this page and in the SPD in order to make sure you comply with the notification requirements and understand the financial ramifications of your actions.

Forms:

Request For Return To Retirement Status

Additional Information:

Health & Welfare SPD

Active Health Plan Schedule of Benefits
Eligibility Rules for Employee (see, especially, Termination of Coverage)
Coordination of Benefits

Pension SPD

External Related Links:
(These are listed for your convenience. The sites and the contents of the sites are not sponsored or endorsed by your benefit plans. Use them at your own risk.)

Too Young To Retire - Offers information, links and inspirational profiles of productive seniors leading productive lives.
Working After Retirement - An article on issues to be addressed for people planning to return to work after retirement.

Benefit Plan Checklist
Items regarding the Health Plans apply only to participants in the U. A. Local 447 Pipe Trades Health Plans. However, if you participate in another pipe trades health plan, it is likely that similar considerations will apply.
	If your benefits have been suspended, you will no longer be eligible for coverage in the Retiree Health Plan. However, you may be allowed to elect non-subsidized COBRA coverage.
	If you engage in non-covered electrical employment, you will lose coverage in the Retiree Health Plan and will not be able to enroll in COBRA. If you are enrolled in one of the HMO Medical Plans, you may apply for an individual conversion policy with that HMO.
	If you are retired and contemplating returning to work, you may make a written request to the Administrative Office to find out if a specific employment situation is Suspendible Employment.
	If you are retired and work, or plan to work, you must notify the Administrative Office of your employment.
	If you are retired and your benefits have been suspended, be sure to notify the Administrative Office in writing when you terminate Suspendible Employment in order to resume your benefit payments as soon as possible. See the Request For Return To Retirement Status form.

Planning Notes:

Coming out of retirement has pluses and minuses. Be sure it's the right move for you.

Returning to work may mean a break in your Retiree Health Plan coverage. See Section II: Eligibility Rules.
If you retire before age 63 and return to work in the plumbing and piping industry for 40 hours or more in any given month, your retirement benefit will cease and you will not be allowed to retire again until age 63. See a more complete writeup and important exceptions in Section VIII: Suspension Of Benefits.
It can take up to three months to get back Pension and Health Care benefits.