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Joe, a 76-year-old retiree, worked for his employer for over 18 years and had been retired for 15 years when he received a letter notifying him of an overpayment from his pension plan. The letter indicated that Joe owed the plan over $87,000.
Joe hadn’t had any reason to suspect his benefit was inaccurate. In fact, he had even received a verification letter from his plan confirming his benefit for a home mortgage a few years back–a home that was now in jeopardy.
A Western States Pension Assistance Project (WSPAP) attorney reviewed Joe’s documents and contacted the pension plan on his behalf. This coincided with the newly-passed SECURE 2.0 Act, which limits pension recoupment to 10% of a participant’s benefit. Though the overpayment existed before the passage of SECURE 2.0, the plan agreed to apply this 10% limit to Joe’s case.
This resolution will provide Joe with an additional $153 per month. In addition, WSPAP staff gained familiarity and practice with the new SECURE 2.0 provisions in order to continue to help clients like Joe.
