WHAT'S NEW

Mill closure/curtailment seminars

Pension specialists from the Plan Office will be travelling to Kelowna, Quesnel and Clearwater to meet in person with members affected by mill closures and curtailments. 

If you have lost your job due and would like to meet with a pension specialist, please RSVP to a presentation or 15-minute one-on-one consultation. At-the-door attendees will not be accepted, you must RSVP in advance to reserve a spot.

CANCELLED: Prince George Pop-up Plan Office

We regret to inform members that all presentations and one-on-one consultations in Prince George are now cancelled. We apologize to everyone who was planning to attend, and will notify all members with reservations personally. 

Why the cancellation? We've recently been notified of mill curtailments and closures in Kelowna, Quesnel and Vavenby, and will be visiting these towns to speak to members on how their job loss affects their membership in the pension plan. In order to accommodate all affected members as soon as possible, we are cancelling our trip to Prince George. 

Thank you all for your understanding.

Upcoming webinar: retiring from the pension plan

Wondering what retirement under the IWA–Forest Industry Pension Plan will look like for you? 

Attend this webinar to learn about your retirement options (including early retirement), who to select as your beneficiary, and how to start the application process and complete the necessary forms.

Click here to RSVP to either session.

Qualifying deferred members now have access to their unlocked lump-sum benefit at any time

FICOM recently approved a rule change to article 15.08(a) of the IWA–Forest Industry Pension Plan text. What changed? Qualifying deferred members can now choose to withdraw the lump-sum value of their pension out of the plan, provided they meet the following conditions:

1. Broke service with the pension plan (i.e. are no longer active members),
2. Have not yet begun to collect a pension from the plan, and
3. Are entitled to a lump-sum benefit less than the legislated small benefit threshold, set at 20% of the YMPE.

Unsure whether this applies to you? Lookout for your annual statement, (to be mailed in early June 2019) or contact the pension department of the Plan Office.