You can take your monthly pension benefit if you meet one of the following criteria:

• You are eligible for your full unreduced pension benefit at your Normal Retirement Age, this is usually age 65.


• You are eligible for your full unreduced pension benefit once you have attained 20 years of service .You may also be eligible for Pensioner Medical coverage under the Regular Pension; Please see question# 2 regarding additional eligibility requirements.


• You are eligible for an Early Reduced Pension once you have attained 15 years of service and are at least 60 years old.

• If you have an extended period of absence of at least 365 days, you may not be immediately eligible for an Unreduced Regular Pension with only 20 years of service.


• You become an Inactive Vested Participant after an extended period of absence of at least 365 days. Additionally, you immediately become an Inactive Vested Participant if you go to work in non-covered employment in the maritime industry. If you are determined to be an Inactive Vested Participant, in order to be eligible for the Unreduced Pension and Pensioner Medical Coverage: you must first attain 20 years of service then you will need to make up the time you were absent from AMO Covered Employment. Please contact the Plan office to review your eligibility.

Once you meet the eligibility requirements for the Unreduced Regular Pension and have Active medical coverage at the time of your retirement date, you and your Eligible Dependents are covered under the AMO Pensioner Medical Plan. Please refer to the Pensioner Medical section for additional information regarding this coverage.

If you want to return to work after your retirement, you must request in writing to and receive written permission from the Board of Trustees of the AMO Pension Plan. This request and approval must be made prior to beginning such employment. This applies to any employment in the Maritime Industry. Requests cannot be made prior to your Pension Effective Date.

No; however, once you meet the IRS Required Beginning Date, the John Hancock will distribute your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) amount.

You must apply no later than one day prior to your desired Pension Effective Date (PED) but no sooner than six months prior to your desired PED. (I.e. applications for a PED of October 1, 2018 should be received no later than September 30, 2018)

Your full unreduced pension will be actuarially increased for each month you delay your retirement beyond your Normal Retirement Age. This increase is called the Late Retirement Factor.

Yes, a vested participant, who is totally and permanently disabled and has at least 20 years of AMO service, will receive their full unreduced pension.

We will need proof of age documents for you and your spouse, along with marriage certificate and divorce documents, if applicable.

• Acceptable Proof of Age documents are: Birth Certificate, Passport, Merchant Marine Card, and Real ID Driver’s License.


• Required Divorce Documents includes but are not limited to: Final Divorce Decree, Marital Property Settlement, and Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO).

It is preferred that you enroll in the Electronic Direct Deposit Payment Method; however, you can also choose to have your monthly pension sent to you as a physical check. Direct Deposit payments are posted to your account no later than the 12th day of each month, while the physical paper checks are mailed no later than the 15th day of each month.

Your monthly pension is considered taxable income and you will be required to complete the IRS Form W-4P for pension payments, so Federal Taxes can be withheld. We do not deduct taxes for State, Medicare, or Social Security.

No; pension benefits do not continue for an unmarried pensioner.

No; survivor pension benefits are only payable when you choose one of the Joint and Survivor Annuity options and to the spouse you are married to at the time of your Retirement Date.

If you die before retiring and have been married for at least 1 year prior to your death, your spouse is eligible to receive your pension at your earliest eligibility date. However, if you are single or married for less than 1 year at the time of your death, there are no survivor pension benefits payable.

Your pension benefit will not change if your spouse predeceases you. Also, you cannot transfer the survivor benefits to a future spouse.

• Life Annuity – is the normal form of payment for an unmarried participant which provides a monthly pension benefit to you for your lifetime only. The Life Annuity does not provide a survivor’s benefit. Also, if you pass away, your Eligible Dependents will lose their Pensioner Medical coverage. If you are married, your spouse must sign the Consent of Spouse form in the presence of a notary waiving his/her survivor rights to the pension benefit.


• 100% Joint and Survivor Annuity– is the normal form of payment for a married participant which provides you with a reduced monthly pension benefit for your lifetime. If you were to predecease your spouse, he/she will continue to receive the same reduced amount for his/her lifetime. Also, your Eligible Dependents will remain eligible for Pensioner Medical coverage.


• 75% Joint and Survivor Annuity– provides you with a reduced monthly pension benefit for your lifetime. If you were to predecease your spouse, he/she will continue to receive 75% of your reduced amount for his/her lifetime. Also, your Eligible Dependents will remain eligible for Pensioner Medical


• 50% Joint and Survivor Annuity– provides you with a reduced monthly pension benefit for your lifetime. If you were to predecease your spouse, he/she will continue to receive 50% of your reduced amount for his/her lifetime. Also, your Eligible Dependents will remain eligible for Pensioner Medical coverage.

• All members who are eligible for Pensioner Medical will no longer have dental coverage, a hearing aid benefit, disability coverage or a death and accidental death and dismemberment benefit.


• All members who are eligible for Pensioner Medical who are not yet eligible for Medicare will have a change in their deductible, co-insurance, out-of-pocket limit, outpatient hospital copay and inpatient hospital copay. Please refer to the AMO Medical Summary Plan Description Schedule of Benefits for Type B Coverage beginning on page 1-25.


• All members who are eligible for Pensioner Medical and eligible for Medicare should refer to the AMO Medical Summary Plan Description Type C – Pensioner Medicare Eligible Benefits beginning on Page 1-39. You must enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B coverage and AMO will be secondary.

If you are eligible for Pensioner medical, you must declare retirement while you still have Type A – Active Medical Coverage.

If you did not elect a Life Annuity Pension and if your marriage date is prior to your Pension Effective Date, a spouse and dependents meeting the eligibility requirements of the AMO Medical Plan will continue to be covered after you are deceased.

No, AMO is secondary to Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B.

Yes provided that you and your dependents meet the eligibility requirements of the Scholarship Benefit outlined on Page 7 – AMO Medical Plan Addendum located in the AMO Medical Summary Plan Description and provided your coverage has not been terminated for exceeding the Pensioner Wage Earnings Limitation.

This is an annually required form for all Pensioners under age 65 covered under the AMO Medical Plan Pensioner Coverage. This form requests current employment and current income for you and your spouse to determine the wages earned from gainful employment. If your earnings from gainful employment are greater than two times the amount permitted by Social Security, your Pensioner medical coverage will be suspended until the first day of the calendar year that you are no longer exceeding the Pensioner Wage Earnings limitation. If you, the participant earn over the limit coverage will suspend for you and all of your dependents until the first day of the calendar year that you are no longer exceed the limit. If your spouse exceeds the limit, coverage will suspend for your spouse only until the first day of the calendar year that they no longer exceed the limit.