The Life Insurance benefit is payable in the event of your death from any cause at any time or place while you are insured. Payment will be made to the beneficiary designated by you.  If there is no designated beneficiary living at the time of your death, the Insurer will pay the benefit to your Estate.   The amount of Life Insurance is specified in the “SUMMARY OF BENEFITS” of this website. 

Beneficiary

For employee death benefits, you may name a beneficiary/beneficiaries and, from time to time, change such named beneficiary/beneficiaries, subject to Provincial law, by written request filed with the administrator.  The change will take effect as of the date such request was executed, but without prejudice to the Insurance Company for any payments made before such request is received at its Head Office.

Waiver of Premium Benefit

If, while covered under this, you become totally disabled and have not retired or had your 65th birthday and remain so disabled for 6 consecutive months, the Insurer will waive payment of the life insurance premiums up to age 65 provided you remain so disabled, and provided proofs of disability are furnished as required.  Totally disabled means you are incapacitated by an injury or disease to the extent that you are not able to perform any work for compensation or profit and are not able to engage in any business or occupation. 

In order to qualify for the Waiver of Premium benefit, you must notify the Insurer within 12 months of the last active day at work and must furnish due proof of disability, satisfactory to the Insurer, within 18 months of that last active working day.   

From time to time during the first 2 years that premiums are waived, the Insurer shall have the right to require proof of continuance of your disability.  After 2 years, proof shall only be required no more than once a year.  You may be required to be examined by a medical examiner designated by the Insurer, at the Insurer’s expense. No benefits will be provided under this benefit if you fail to submit proof of disability when required.

The Insurer will waive premiums starting with the date the required proof is approved.  Premiums shall not be waived beyond the earlier of your age 65 or the date you cease to be totally disabled.  The benefit will cease if you fail to submit proof of continuance of disability when required or if you fail to be examined by a qualified physician when required.

If you die while your life insurance is being continued under this Waiver of Premium benefit, the amount of insurance payable will be the amount of insurance for which premiums are being waived at the time of death.  

If you die within one year of becoming totally disabled and unable to work due to such disability, but before due proof of the disability was furnished to the Insurer, the Insurer will pay your beneficiary the amount of life insurance to which you were entitled on the date you became so disabled.  The Insurer must receive proof of the death and total disability during this period not later than one year after your death.   

If you do not return to work within 31 days after this benefit ceases, you may convert the amount of insurance that was subject to this provision as though the insurance had ceased on that date due to termination of employment.  If a benefit is payable under the Conversion Privilege, the amount of insurance payable under this provision shall be reduced by the amount of that benefit.  If an individual policy has been issued in accordance with the Conversion Privilege no payment shall be made under this provision if the individual policy is not surrendered to the Insurer, without payment of the claim.  If the policy is surrendered, the Insurer will refund any premium paid on the individual policy.

The Insurer shall not be liable for waiver of premium benefits after termination of the contract or waiver of premium provision once a replacing insurer is bound contractually or as a matter of law.  However, if this contract or waiver of premium provision terminates, the Insurer remains liable to provide waiver of premium benefits for a continuous disability caused by an accident or sickness that occurred prior to termination provided a claim is submitted within 12 months of the Member’s last active day at work and due proof of disability, satisfactory to the Insurer, is furnished within 18 months of the last active working day. At the end of any 6 month period during which the Member was not disabled the Insurer ceases to be liable for any further waiver of premium benefit for disability caused by an accident or sickness that occurred prior to termination.

How To File a Claim For Life Insurance Benefits

Claim forms may be obtained from the Claims Office.

You should acquaint your beneficiary/beneficiaries with the fact that in the event of your death, they should contact your employer, and the Trust Fund administrator immediately.  A claim form will then be forwarded with specific instructions as to how it is to be completed.

Before submitting the claim form, your beneficiary or Executor must ensure that all questions have been answered, that the claimant and the insured are clearly identified by full name, return mailing address, and the name of your employer and Union.    Faulty or missing information will only result in a delay in processing the claim.

When the above has been completed, forward the form and all attachments to the administrator.   The claim will be validated by the administrator and forwarded to the insurance carrier for settlement.

Proof of Loss

Written proof stating the occurrence, character and extent of loss must be submitted to the administrator within 12 months after the date of death for Life Insurance, and within 18 months after the date the employee ceases active work because of total and permanent disability under the disability provision for Life Insurance.

Conversion Privilege

If your entire amount of life insurance is discontinued because of a change in your eligibility status or your termination in this plan, and you are under 65 years of age, you are entitled to purchase an individual life insurance policy issued by the Insurer, subject to the following conditions:

• The amount of the individual policy shall not exceed the amount of insurance for which the Member was covered when coverage was discontinued, subject to a maximum of $200,000.
• The individual policy shall be, at the Member’s option, in the form of a (i) non-convertible term insurance to age 65, (ii) a permanent plan that the insurer offers to the public at the time of conversion; or (iii) one-year non-renewable term insurance which may be converted while it is in force to any plan described above.  This individual policy shall be without disability waiver or other supplementary benefits.
• The premium for the individual policy shall be determined by the Insurer according to:
• the insurer’s current rates for your attained age at the birthday immediately prior to the date of issue of the individual policy;
• the class of risk to which you then belong; and
• the form and amount of the individual policy.
• The first premium and written application for the individual policy shall be delivered to the Insurer within 31 days after the date on which your insurance is terminated.
• Insurance under the individual policy shall be effective at the end of the 31 day period described above.
• Evidence of insurability shall not be required for such individual policy.

If you die within the 31-day period during which you could have converted, the Insurer shall pay the maximum amount of insurance you could have converted.  If an individual policy has already been issued through conversion, no payment shall be made through this provision unless the individual policy is surrounded without payment of claim.  Upon surrender the Insurer shall refund premiums paid on the individual policy.  A beneficiary designated in any conversion application shall be the beneficiary under this provision. 

Note:This conversion privilege does not apply to life insurance that is terminating or reducing because you retire or attain a certain age specified in the Group Policy.

Premium Waiver

If you become totally disabled in accordance with the terms and conditions as described under Employee Life Insurance, and Waiver of Premium is approved for your Life Insurance, then the premium requirement for the Life benefit will be waived until the earliest of (a) the date your Waiver of Premium for Life Insurance ceases, or (b) the date the policy or coverage terminates.  See the Employee Life Insurance section of this website for further details of this waiver benefit.

Conversion Option 

An individual life insurance policy issued by the Insurer may be purchased if the insurance ceases due to your insurance terminating, or because of your death.  The conditions under which this policy may be purchased are the same as those described in the Employee Life Insurance section of this website. You should contact the Administrator for details.  Written application together with the initial premium due must be submitted to the insurance company within 31 days of the date your coverage terminates. 

If you die within the 31 day period during which the life insurance could have been converted, the Insurer will pay the maximum amount of the insurance that could have been converted.  If an individual policy has already been issued through conversion, no payment shall be made through this provision unless the individual policy is surrendered without payment of claim.  Upon surrender the Insurer shall refund premiums paid on the individual policy.