disability question

[old brown diamond reo]

in the ups/ibt full-time employee pension plan it shows a disability benefit for people with a permanent disability. i have copied it below. does anyone know how this works? does this go above and beyond your pension if you meet the requirements, which are stated: to qualify you must meet disability requirements under social security guidelines. also how long does this benefit last? any help and answers will be greatly appreciated. thanks for your time, old brown diamond reo

If You Become Disabled​

If you have at least 10 years of Service Credit and become permanently and totally disabled prior to age 62 while actively engaged in Covered Employment (or within two calendar years after becoming an inactive participant), you may be eligibleto receive a monthly disability benefit. You are considered totally and permanently disabled if you qualify for disability benefits under the Social Security Act. If you are not a TCI Participant, the amount of your monthly disability benefit is based on your age at disability, as illustrated in the following table:​

Monthly Disability Benefit for Participants Other Than TCI Participants​

Age at Disability Monthly Amount​

50 and younger $650--51 $700--52 $750--53 $800--54 $850--55 $900--56 $950--57 and older $1,000​

Note: If you are a TCI Participant, your disability benefit is $250 per month at any age.​

Your disability benefit will begin as of the first day of the sixth calendar month after you become disabled. For example,if you become disabled in March, your benefit will begin on September 1.If you become permanently and totally disabled after age 45 while actively engaged in Covered Employment (or within two calendar years after becoming an inactive participant) and you are not eligible for the monthly benefit described above, youmay be eligible for a lump sum disability benefit of up to $3,000, reduced by the amount of any lump sum disability benefits previously paid to you. The benefit will be payable on the first day of the sixth month after you become disabled. You must make a timely application to the Plan Administrator to receive a disability benefit.​

 

[JonFrum]

In a typical plan, a Disability Pension is intended for a working employee who becomes disabled before he is entitled to start collecting regular retirement checks or early retirement checks. If you had enough Pension Credits to be eligible to collect Regular or Early Retirement checks immediately, then, most likely, those checks would be larger, and you would only get the single largest monthly check you are eligible for, not the Disability check.