Death & Disability Benefits
Death Benefits
From The Insurance Fund
If a member dies while eligible for insurance benefits from the OLDC-OCA Insurance Fund, the member’s named beneficiary will be eligible for a death benefit. It’s important to keep your beneficiaries up-to-date. Please complete a new Enrollment/Beneficiary Card (available on MemberXG) and submit it to Ohio Laborers Benefits if your family changes.
- Class 1 (Active Members): $14,000 (additional $10,000 for accidental deaths)
- Class 2 (ESRD Members): $2,500
- Class 3 & 4 (Retired Members): $2,500
From The Pension Fund
Pre-Retirement Death Benefits
If you are vested and die before receiving your pension benefits, the Death Benefits payable to your beneficiary depend on your age and marital status.
Non-Married: If you are not married at the time of your death, you need a minimum of 5 pension credits for your beneficiary to be entitled to a death benefit. Your beneficiary will receive a one-time lump sum benefit equal to $1,000 for each pension credit you have earned, up to a maximum of 30 pension credits.
Married: If you are vested and have been legally married to your spouse for at least one year before your death, your spouse will be eligible for a surviving spouse benefit. That benefit is determined as follows:
- If you are retirement age on the date of your death, your spouse’s benefit will be determined as if you had retired the day before your death and elected the 100% Spousal Option. The monthly benefit will be payable on the first of the month following your death and will be payable for the life of your spouse.
- If you are NOT yet retirement age on the date of your death, your spouse will be entitled to the 100% Spousal Option when you would have reached retirement age. The monthly benefit will be payable the first of the month after you would have reached retirement age and will be payable for the life of your spouse. Additionally, if you have at least 5 pension credits and have at least 500 hours reported at the $1.70 or higher (rate effective May 1995), your spouse will have the option to receive a one-time lump sum payment at the time of your death and then take an actuarially reduced monthly benefit when you would have been retirement age. The lump sum payment will be equal to $1,000 for each pension credit you have earned, up to a maximum of 30 pension credits. After you retire and start receiving your monthly pension benefit, determining the Death Benefits payable to your beneficiary is simple. The benefit available to your beneficiary depends solely on the Pension Option you elected when you retired.
Post-Retirement Death
After you retire and start receiving your monthly pension benefit, determining the Death Benefits payable to your beneficiary is simple. The benefit available to your beneficiary depends solely on the Pension Option you elected when you retired.
Naming A Beneficiary
It is extremely important to keep your beneficiaries up-to-date. Please complete a new Enrollment/Beneficiary Card and submit it to Ohio Laborers Benefits if your family changes. Enrollment/Beneficiary Cards can be updated through your MemberXG account. If you have been married for at least one year at the time of your death, your surviving spouse will automatically be your beneficiary for pension Death Benefits. If you fail to designate a beneficiary or your designated beneficiary predeceases you, your lump sum payment will be paid to your estate. If there is no estate, payment will be made in the following order: spouse, children, parents, brothers/sisters, next of kin.
Short Term Disability
If you are temporarily or permanently unable to work as a Laborer, you may be eligible for a monetary benefit from the Insurance Fund. There is a one-week waiting period if your disability is from a sickness. There is no waiting period for disabilities caused by an accident.
- Maximum Benefit per Disability: up to $400 (net after standard FICA and Medicare withholdings)
- Maximum Benefit Period: 26 Weeks
In addition to the weekly monetary benefit, you may also be entitled to Disability Credit Hours (DCH) from both the Insurance and Pension Funds. DCH could help extend your insurance eligibility and give you a higher pension benefit.
If your disability is work-related, you will not be eligible for a monetary benefit, but may still be eligible for DCH. For insurance hours, you will need to submit the Short Term Disability form. To be eligible for pension DCH for work-related disabilities, you will need to submit BWC paperwork showing the date of the injury, the company the claim was filed against, the type of BWC payments received, and the time period the BWC payments covered.
This benefit is only payable to members eligible for Class 1 insurance benefits. To apply for this benefit, please complete a Short Term Disability form and submit it to Ohio Laborers Benefits. This can be done through your MemberXG account.
Dismemberment Benefits
If an eligible member suffers one of the following, the member will be eligible for the corresponding one-time payment:
- Quadriplegia: $10,000
- Paraplegia: $7,500
- Hemiplegia: $7,500
- Loss of Hand: $5,000
- Loss of Foot: $5,000
- Loss of Sight in One Eye: $5,000
- Loss of Speech: $5,000
- Loss of Hearing: $5,000
- Loss of Thumb and Index Finger on Same Hand: $2,500