25 SUMMARY PLAN DESCRIPTION 2023 // benefit payments are effective on the first day of the month after your last day of work, or after the Fund Office receives your complet- ed benefit application, whichever is later. However, even if you sub- mit an incomplete application, you may elect to have your benefits paid as of the first day of the month after the Fund Office receives your incomplete application as long as certain requirements are met. This is referred to as the “Retroactive Annuity Starting Date.” If the Fund Office determines that your benefit application is incom- plete, you will be notified as soon as possible with a written request for additional information. If you would like your benefits to be paid from the first day of the month following the date on which the Fund Office received your incomplete application, it is important that you and your spouse (if applicable) sign this form and return it to the Fund Office with all of the requested additional information within 90 days. Otherwise, your benefit payments may be effective the first of the month following the date on which the information needed to complete your benefit application is received in the Fund Office. This means that you could miss out on benefit payments to which you would otherwise be entitled. In addition, if: 1. the employer you retired from was a new contributing employer; and 2. the date you retired was after the date your employer began making contributions but before the date that the employer was finally approved and accepted retroactively as a contributing employer; and 3. you apply for benefits no later than one year after the date that your employer was finally approved and accepted retroactively as a contributing employer, you may elect your benefits to be paid retroactively to the first of the month after you retired. To take advantage of this provision, you must be eligible to begin receiving benefits as of the Retroactive Annuity Starting Date (the later of the first day of the month following your submission of an incomplete benefit application or the first day of the month follow- ing your Intended Retirement Date). If you elect to have your benefits paid as of your Retroactive Annui- ty Starting Date, you will not actually receive any benefit payments until after the processing of your application is completed. However, your first benefit payment will include payments retroactive to the first day of the month following the date on which you first submit- ted your incomplete application (your “Retroactive Annuity Starting Date”). You will also receive interest from this date. In order for the Fund to pay benefits retroactive to the date that you submit an application, you will have to complete the Election of Retroactive Annuity Starting Date form, described above. Note: Your RP Schedule Effective Date as described on page 6 is determined based on when you submit a complete application for benefits, whether or not you elect a Retroactive Annuity Starting Date. PROCESSING APPLICATIONS FOR BENEFITS Upon receipt of your application for non-disability pensions, the Fund Office will send you any additional forms and requests for information that may be needed. Every effort will be made to complete the processing of your applica- tion within 90 days after receipt by the Fund Office. This 90-day period will begin upon receipt of your signed application form by the Fund Office even if you have not submitted all of the information needed for the Fund to make a decision on your application. For applications for disability pensions, this 90-day period will be 45 days. If a decision on your application cannot be made within 90 days of receipt by the Fund Office, a letter will be sent to you, prior to the expiration of the 90 days, explaining the special circumstances requiring another 90 days to take action and the date by which a decision is expected to be reached. If final action cannot be taken by the end of the second 90-day pe- riod (a total of 180 days), you will be sent a written explanation in advance of the expiration of the second 90-day period. At this time, you will be awarded any partial benefits that can be determined with the available information. Upon receipt of your application for a disability pension, the Fund Office will send you a written request for any additional informa- tion that may be needed. Every effort will be made to complete the processing of your applica- tion within this initial 45-day period after receipt by the Fund Office. This 45-day period will begin upon receipt of your signed application form by the Fund Office even if you have not submitted all of the infor- mation needed for the Fund to make a decision on your application. If a decision on your disability application cannot be made within 45 days of receipt by the Fund Office, a letter will be sent to you, prior to the expiration of the 45 days explaining the “special circumstances” requiring an additional 30 days to take action and the date by which a decision is expected to be reached. The notice of this extension will specifically explain standards upon which the entitlement to a disability pension is based, the unresolved issues that prevent a de- cision on your application and the additional information needed to resolve these issues. If prior to the end of this first 30-day period (75 days after receipt in the Fund Office), the Fund Office determines that another 30-day extension is needed, you will be sent another notice with similar content.