If you or an eligible dependent die for any reason, you or your beneficiary may receive a death benefit.
To be eligible for life insurance and accidental Death & dismemberment benefits, you must be an active participant covered under the Health and Welfare Plan at the time of your death or your eligible dependent’s death. In the event the dependent dies for any reason while you are covered, you are entitled to the dependent’s death benefit.
When you are first eligible for coverage, you need to send a properly completed Union Labor Life Insurance Enrollment & Beneficiary Form to the Fund Office by mail or email. If you die while covered, the beneficiaries you name receive payment from the plan. Designations or changes are not accepted by the Fund Office on or after the date of death.
The Fund Office should be notified within 60 days of the death of any covered person.
You or your beneficiary must submit a certified copy of the death certificate and request the death benefit in writing within 12 months after the date of death. Death benefits are not paid unless all supporting documents are received by the Fund Office within the 12-month timeframe.
Make sure to designate your beneficiary for benefits on the Union Labor Life Insurance Enrollment & Beneficiary Form. Benefits are payable to the beneficiary named on this form in the event of your death regardless of the cause. You may designate any person you wish as your beneficiary. You may name more than one person or even your estate, but you must use the Fund’s official Enrollment & Beneficiary Form for this designation.
You may change your beneficiary at any time by sending a new Enrollment & Beneficiary Form to the Fund Office. No change becomes effective until the properly completed replacement form is received by the Fund Office. If you have questions or are not sure whether your designation is on file, contact at the Fund Office.
Death benefits for an eligible dependent are paid to the participant. Death benefits for a participant are subject to the following rules:
You may make or change a beneficiary designation at any time by completing and executing, prior to the date of your death, a properly completed Beneficiary Form. The beneficiary designation will take effect when the signed form is received by the Fund Office
If you do not designate a Beneficiary or if the Beneficiary dies before you, the Plan pays benefits in this order:
If you name your spouse or domestic partner as beneficiary, but later divorce or dissolve your partnership, your beneficiary designation is automatically revoked as of the date of divorce or dissolution. If you wish to keep your former spouse or domestic partner as the beneficiary after the end of your marriage or partnership, you must file a new Enrollment & Beneficiary Form after the end of your marriage or partnership.
Any death benefits payable to a minor may be paid to the child’s legally appointed guardian or if there is no such guardian, to the adults determined by the Trustees in their sole discretion to have assumed the child’s custody and principal support.
A beneficiary may reject the benefits. In that case, benefits are paid to the remaining designated beneficiaries or, if none, to the appropriate beneficiary in accordance with Plan rules, as if the participant died without naming a beneficiary.
To receive benefits related to an accident, your injuries or death must be proven, direct results of an accident. The Fund Office should be notified within 60 days of the death or dismemberment.
In the event of your accidental death, your beneficiary must provide a certified copy of the death certificate and request the death benefit in writing. Benefits are not paid unless all supporting documents are received by the Fund Office within the 365-day timeframe.
Click here for Frequently Asked Questions about Life Insurance Benefits.
For more information, refer to the Summary Plan Description or contact the Fund Office. Also check the Health & Welfare Fund Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
