In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office of Human Resources has limited on-site support and is primarily working remotely. During this time, Craig Hall is not open to the public; walk-ins will not be accepted and forms cannot be dropped off in-person or faxed. During this time, we recommend submitting all requests and inquiries online in lieu of sending physical mail. For
Benefits forms not completed online via Pitt Worx or DocuSign, please submit an inquiry online. If you have a Benefits-related inquiry, including the submission of forms or documentation, the quickest way to receive assistance is to call the Benefits Department at 833-852-2210. You can also submit an inquiry at www.hr.pitt.edu/contact-ohr. The Noncontributory Defined Benefit Plan has been phased out and is no longer offered to new participants. Only currently participating members of this plan can continue to receive benefits. Union employees should check their collective bargaining agreement for eligibility. The retirement benefit to be received under this Plan is determined by a set formula which takes into account salary and years of participation in the plan and age at retirement (University Funded Trust at Mellon Bank). Retention of BenefitsFor those currently participating, they must remain in one of the following positions to retain eligibility and to continue to possible accrue benefits:
Review the Summary Plan Description of this plan: Defined Benefit Pension Plan Summary Plan Description
Defined Benefit Plan Contribution Example:
*Estimated benefit if claimed as a single-life annuity at age 65Vesting Period The Vesting Period under the Noncontributory Defined Benefit Pension Plan is five years with 1000 or more hours of participation in each calendar year. Full time employees will complete 1,950 hours of service in a calendar year. (To accumulate 1000 hours, the staff participant must be at least 60% effort). Since faculty work is often not counted in terms of hours, the Benefits Department derives the appropriate number of hours each faculty member should be credited based on their percentage of effort and the number of months during the year during which he/she works and earns compensation, as defined in the plan document. See the plan document for specific information. There are two ways to collect this benefit:
The benefit is reduced by .6% for each month prior to age 65 you take the benefit. (Ex. If a participant retired on his 64th birthday and started the benefit immediately upon retirement, his benefit would be reduced by 7.2%, or .6% for each of the 12 months prior to reaching age 65.) The benefit is paid in one of two ways:
If you are covered by the Defined Benefit Plan and have never been enrolled in the Defined Contribution Program you may be eligible to take advantage of the Once in Career Change option. Re-enrollment in the Defined Benefit Pension Plan is not permitted. You may contact the Benefits Department at 833-852-2210 to discuss your options. You can obtain a form to make this once in a career change from the benefits office. Once eligibility has been determined by Human Resources, you will receive a notice. You will be able to enroll in the Defined Contribution plan within 7-10 days of receiving the notice. Instructions on how to enroll can be found on the Making Changes to Your Retirement Election page. Contact InformationFor additional information about your pension, access the Pension Administration Center online portal (via Pitt Passport). You can also find the portal by visiting my.pitt.edu and searching for "Pension Administration Center." With questions about the Defined Benefit Plan, please contact the University Pension Center at 1-866-283-0208. What percentage of eligible employees must be covered by noncontributory?Typically, noncontributory plans require 100% employee participation; contributory plans usually require approximately 75% participation.
What minimum percentage of all eligible employees must participate in a group life insurance?For noncontributory plans, 100 percent of the eligible employees must participate. If a plan is contributory (partially or fully funded by employees), a minimum number of eligible employees must participate, as specified in the Employee Benefits Proposal.
What is noncontributory plan?Noncontributory Insurance — a plan of insurance for which the employer pays the entire premium and the employee does not contribute to premium payment.
What is the minimum number of persons that can be covered by a group insurance plan?States generally define true "group" insurance as having at least 10 people covered under one master contract.
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