(888) 245-5005 Call Us
(707) 864-3300 Call Us
NCCMmisc@HSBA.com Email Us
Create New Account Create New User Account
Member Login Member Login
Employer Login Employer Login
Trustee Login Trustee Login
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  1. Am I vested?
    If you are a Participant who has not experienced a Permanent Break in Service, and you have at least one hour of work in Covered Employment on or after January 1, 1997, you will achieve Vested status once you have accumulated at least 5 years of Credited Service.
  1. How are Credited Service Years calculated?

    Hours Worked in Plan Credit Year

    Credited Service

    Less than 300 hours

     None

    300 to 499 hours

    0.25

    500 to 749 hours

    0.50

    750 to 869 hours

    0.75

    870 hours or more

    One Year

  1. How are Benefit Units calculated?

    Hours Worked in Plan Credit Year

    Benefit Units

    Less than 300 hours

    None

    300 to 399 hours

    0.25

    400 to 499 hours

    0.33

    500 to 599 hours

    0.42

    600 to 699 hours

    0.50

    700 to 799 hours

    0.58

    800 to 899 hours

    0.67

    900 to 999 hours

    0.75

    1,000 to 1,099 hours

    0.83

    1,100 to 1,199 hours

    0.92

    1,200 hours or more

    One Year
  1. Can I receive credited hours/contributions toward my pension if I am on Workers’ Compensation or State Disability?
    Yes! You may be eligible to receive credited hours/contributions toward your pension while receiving Workers’ Compensation or State Disability benefits. You will need to contact the Trust Fund Office to request the appropriate form. Once completed, you will also need to submit copies of your State Disability payment stubs or Workers’ Compensation payment stubs for review. 
  1. What kind of retirement am I eligible for?

    Normal Retirement: To qualify for a normal retirement and receive your full benefit amount, you must be vested and at least 65 years old.

    Early Retirement: To qualify for early retirement you must be vested, and between 55 to 64 years old with a minimum of 10 Credited Service Years. Your benefit will be adjusted for each month that you are younger than age 65. 

    Service Pension: To qualify for a service pension and receive your full benefit amount, you must be vested and between 55 and 64 years old with at least 25 Benefit Units.

    Disability Retirement: To qualify for a disability pension, you must be permanently disabled, vested, younger than 65 years old with 10 Credited Service Years, and must have earned at least one quarter of Credited Service (300 to 499 hours) two years prior to or during the Plan Credit Year in which disability began. See pg. 26-27 of SPD for detailed benefit information.   

  1. How do I collect my pension benefits?
    To collect pension benefits, you must complete and submit a pension application to the Trust Fund via mail. Please include all required documents (birth certificate(s), marriage certificate, Final Judgment of Dissolution with any attachments etc.) so as not to delay the process. 
  1. What if my spouse and/or I don’t have birth certificates?
    Please refer to the Required Documents list within your pension application for a list of other documents that can be submitted.
  1. How long does it take to process my application?
    Pension application processing times can vary between 60 to 90 days from the date that all required items are received. Note: If submitting legal documents, processing       times may be extended, as we must consult with legal counsel.
  1. How often are pension payments distributed?
    Pension payments are distributed monthly. Payment dates typically fall on the last week of the month.
  1. Can I receive my payments via direct deposit instead of receiving a check?
    Yes. The option of receiving your payments via direct deposit will be provided to you when you are presented with your benefit options.
  1. Can I still receive pension payments if I move outside of the United States?
    Payments cannot be sent to a foreign bank account. However, we can continue to deposit funds so long as you have a bank account within the United States. Checks can continue to be mailed.

  1. I am applying for my pension benefits. Can I continue working until my pension is effective?
    You will provide your projected last day of work in your completed pension application and may continue working if you request an effective date in the future. We recommend applying for your pension benefits a minimum of 90 days before your requested pension effective date.
  1. I receive pension payments each month. Can I go back to work and keep my pension?
    If you are a Pensioner, you may perform certain types of work under certain conditions without having your monthly benefit suspended. See pg. 45- 46 of SPD for details and for a list of Exceptions. A written request for approval to return to work must be submitted to the Trust Fund office within 15 days of accepting employment. Please ensure that the company name, your potential title, and potential job duties are listed.
    If you are employed or self-employed in non-exempt work (Prohibited Employment) before age 65, your pension payments will be suspended and permanently withheld for each month that you worked in prohibited employment. For your pension payments to begin again, three months must pass since you last worked in prohibited employment. In other words, once you have stopped working in Prohibited Employment, your pension will not begin again until the first day of the fourth month after you have stopped working in Prohibited Employment.
  1. I am going through a divorce. Can my ex-spouse be entitled to anything?
    Under the terms of a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO), your former spouse may be assigned an interest in your pension benefits upon the termination of your marriage.
  1. What is a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO)?
    A QDRO is a judicial order entered as part of a property division in a divorce or legal separation.
  1. How do I obtain a QDRO?
    Typically, a QDRO is drafted by an attorney experienced in family law. The Plan recommends that a draft is submitted for review before filing with the court to ensure that it meets legal standards.
  1. How long does the QDRO process take?
    This document must be approved by the Plan’s legal counsel in both draft and filed forms before an alternate payee is able to receive payment. Processing times can vary.

  1. Does the Pension Plan provide any survivor benefits?
    If you are married when you retire, the standard 50% Joint-and-Survivor Pension is the automatic payment form. However, you may also choose to leave your surviving spouse a higher benefit by choosing either the 75% or 100% Joint-and Survivor option.
  1. Who qualifies as a beneficiary for monthly survivor benefits?
    The person that you were married to at the time of your retirement will be considered your surviving spouse for the purpose of monthly survivor benefits.
  1. Can I choose what amount to leave my surviving spouse?
    Benefit and survivor options will be provided to you after your pension application has been reviewed and processed.
  1. My spouse passed away after I retired. If I re-marry, can my new spouse be considered a beneficiary?
    Effective for retirements on or after September 1, 1996: If you are receiving a Joint-and-Survivor pension, and the spouse to whom you were married upon retirement predeceases you, your monthly benefit will increase the month following your spouse’s passing to the amount that would have been payable had you not selected a Joint-and-Survivor pension. No other person will be entitled to monthly death benefits upon your passing.

  1. What is a Lump-Sum Death Benefit?
    In addition to monthly survivor benefits, a one-time Lump Sum Death Benefit is payable to the Pensioner’s surviving spouse. The benefit is equal to the Benefit Units accumulated by the Pensioner and multiplied by $100.
  1. There is no surviving spouse. Who is entitled to the one-time Lump Sum Death Benefit?
    If there is no surviving spouse, the benefit will be paid in equal parts to one or more of the surviving relatives in the following order:
  • Child(ren)
  • Parent(s)
  • Sibling(s)
  1. There are no eligible surviving relatives. Who gets the one-time Lump-Sum Death Benefit?
    If the Pensioner is not survived by any eligible relatives, the Fund will reimburse the individual responsible for funeral expenses, up to the amount of the Lump-Sum Death Benefit. If the Lump-Sum Death Benefit is not payable under any of the above circumstances, the entire Lump-Sum benefit will be paid to the Pensioner’s estate.

Website Disclaimer

This website provides a summary of the benefits available through the Fund and does not contain all information that may apply to your individual situation. Where this page deviates from the information provided in the official Plan Documents(s), the official Plan Document(s) terms shall prevail.

Trust Fund Office

Health Services & Benefit Administrators
4160 Dublin Boulevard, Suite 100
Dublin, CA 94568-7756

Phone   (888) 245-5005

Email
For Pension -
For Enrollments -
For all other questions -

Office Hours
Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (PST)
Copyright © 2025 HSBA