An estimated 9.7 percent of Americans over the age of 65 are living below the poverty line, including retirees, and those in the workforce, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
One non-profit group has been seeking to assist seniors, particularly those with moderate or low incomes, by reclaiming pension benefits for workers, retirees, and their families.
The Mid-America Pension Rights Project has recovered more than $19 million in pension benefits for residents of Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania since its founding in 2001.
“Pensions enable individuals to remain financially secure in retirement, helping them stay out of poverty,” said Gail Webb, manager of the Ohio Project. “Unfortunately, complex pension laws and corporate mergers and closures make it difficult for people to keep track of and obtain the retirement income they have earned.”
The project provides free legal assistance to those seeking earned benefits lost as a result of corporate bankruptcy and mergers.
The Mid-America Project handles issues related to pension benefits, including eligibility and vesting, government pensions, union pensions, 401(k) plans, survivor benefits, pensions in divorce, and common-law marriage.
Although the project operates on a “shoe-string” budget, with a total cumulative budget of $710,000 since its founding, it has collected $27 for every one dollar that has been invested.
Some funding for the project was granted by the U.S. Administration on Aging, and the funding for the 2011 fiscal year has just been renewed.
Under the new grant, the coverage area will be expanded to include Tennessee, Michigan and Indiana.
More information about the program can be found on the website, proseniors.org. Online data includes facts on basic pension rights, claims and appeals, and information for spouses and survivors.
Information in this story courtesy Pro Seniors.
Lorie Settles is a staff writer for the Middlesboro Daily News. She may be contacted by e-mail at lsettles@heartlandpublications.com.
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