How to fill out the Identifying Benefit Recipients form

The Identifying Benefit Recipients forms (OPTRUST 1015 and 1015R), are used to identify who is eligible to receive survivor benefits from the Plan. The forms can be downloaded from our Web site. You can also use OPTrust’s Online Services to update your beneficiary information online.

YOUR IDENTIFICATION

Always complete this section, whether you are new to the Plan, making a change to your personal information or ending your membership in the Plan. Clearly print your surname, first name and any initials, your birth date, indicate your marital status and your address. Please include your social insurance number on pension documents.

YOUR BENEFIT RECIPIENTS

• Eligible Spouse

Pension law states that if you have an eligible spouse, he/she receives almost all your survivor benefits (unless your spouse has signed a waiver or where there are special refunds payable). On the Identifying Benefit Recipients (1015) form, check the box under Refunds to Other Benefit Recipient if you want your spouse to receive any special refunds payable.

If your marital status changes before or after retirement, please complete a new 1015 or the 1015R again with the new information and send it to OPSEU Pension Trust. We can most accurately identify your spouse, whether married or common-law by their name, social insurance number and birth date. A spouse may not be eligible for spousal survivor benefits if you are living separate and apart, at the time of death. See the definition.

• Common-law partner of less than three years

Under the Plan your common-law spouse is not considered an eligible spouse until you have been in the common-law relationship for at least three years or if less than three years you are the natural or adoptive parents of a child. If you want your common-law spouse to receive survivor benefits check off both boxes on the Identifying Benefit Recipients (1015) form – Commuted Value to Designated Beneficiaries and Refunds to Other Benefit Recipient.

• Date of marriage or common-law relationship

Please indicate the date of your marriage or the date you started your common-law relationship. For common-law relationships this date helps to determine when your common-law spouse becomes an ”eligible spouse.“

• Eligible Children

If you do not have an eligible spouse, your eligible children are entitled to survivor benefits for your credit up to December 31, 1986. List your eligible children in this section. In addition to listing your children, you must designate them as beneficiaries and other benefit recipients if you wish them to receive survivor benefits for your credit after December 31, 1986. Check off both boxes on the Identifying Benefit Recipients (1015) form – Commuted Value to Designated Beneficiaries and Refunds to Other Benefit Recipient. Benefits to designated beneficiaries and other benefit recipients will be distributed equally among all individuals named.

If the eligible child is a minor child and there is a Guardian of Property, the child’s name goes in this section. See our fact sheet Minor Children and Survivor Benefits for more information.

• Other benefit recipients (OPTRUST 1015 only)

In this section, you can list anyone or any organization you wish to receive the survivor benefits associated with your credit after December 31, 1986 and any refunds payable under the Plan. If the person named is a minor, you may wish to appoint a trustee under an established trust agreement to manage these monies. If you have appointed a Guardian of Property, name the minor child in this section. Make sure you check off the boxes to the right of the names to indicate that you want the people or organizations named in this category to receive benefits.

• Payment recipient (OPTRUST 1015R only)

This section applies if you die after you have retired. Any ‘residual balance’ payment will be paid to this person. If the person is a minor, note the instructions outlined in the ‘Other Benefit Recipients’ section.

• Declaration section

The instructions you set out in this form are legal only if this section is completed, signed and dated. Witnesses’ signatures are not required.