What is the number to call at Hewitt Associates to report changes or to make inquiries about my pension and other benefits?

Retirees and Surviving Spouses should call Hewitt at 866-899-4384 to report an address changes, to report a death, to make pension or benefit inquiries etc.

What is the difference in Life Insurance for Retirees and Dependent Life Insurance?

Coverage for Retired Employees:
Normal retirement age is 65. Life Insurance will be continued on a reduced basis at Company expense after an employee retires under the Company Retirement Plan at age 65. The amount of coverage for the employee at that time will be 50 percent of the employee’s base pay at time of retirement. Thereafter it will be adjusted on succeeding retirement anniversary dates. The minimum will never be below $10,000 on the life of the retiree.
Dependent Life Insurance: (Note-This provision only applies to Detroit Edison Retirees).
This provision only applies to qualifying employees and retirees after June 1, 1986! The Company provides dependent life insurance and in general terms, it works like this. The insurance will be in the amount of $10,000 coverage on the life of the legal spouse of, and $1000 coverage on the life of each dependent child of, each active employee and each retired employee who retires at age 55 or later with at least 15 years of service, with coverage stopping when said active employee (beneficiary) or said retired employee (beneficiary) dies. Ex-spouses are not covered; spouse coverage applies only on the legal spouse of the employee or retiree. The specific terms and conditions under which benefits may be payable are set forth in the insurance contract.
It is your responsibility to notify the Company of the death of a qualified spouse or dependent child to receive this benefit!
MCN Retirees have a different Dependent Life Insurance benefit and details are pending.

“Pop-up” Clause: I have heard about the ‘pop-up’ clause. Can you explain that provision and how it applies to me?

Section 7.03 DTE Plan Benefit Options. (The following are excerpts from the Plan).
(A) DTE Traditional Plan
    (1) Single Life Annuity – Option III.
This option provides equal monthly payments for the lifetime of the Participant, with no further payments after his or her death. This is the automatic option for an unmarried Participant at the time of death, unless he or she affirmatively elects otherwise.
    (2)Joint and Survivor Annuity-Option II:
       (A) Annuity. Generally, this option provides equal monthly payments for the lifetime of the Participant, with continuing monthly payments after the Participant’s death and for the lifetime of the Participants designated beneficiary, with each monthly payment after the Participants death equal to 50% of the monthly amount payable before the Participant’s death.
       (B) Adjustment if retired Participant survives Beneficiary (The Pop-up Clause).
In the case of a retired Participant who was a Local 223 Participant retiring with either a Normal Retirement Benefit or an Early Retirement Benefit on or after JUNE 1, 1993, a Local 17 Participant retiring with either a Normal Retirement Benefit or an Early Retirement Benefit on or after November 1, 1993, or a non-represented Participant retiring with either a Normal Retirement Benefit or an Early Retirement Benefit on or after January 1, 1994, whose designated Beneficiary predeceases him or her, as of the first day of the month following the death of the Beneficiary, the Retired Participant’s benefit shall revert to the amount that would have been paid payable to the Retired Participant in the form of a Single Life Annuity and shall be payable to the Retired Participant in such adjusted amount for the rest of his or her life. The Retired Participant shall have no right to name another Beneficiary after the death of the designated Beneficiary.
    (3) Modified Joint and Survivor Annuity – Option I.
This option provides equal monthly payments for the lifetime of the Participant with 100% continuing monthly payments after the Participant’s death for the lifetime of the participant’s designated Beneficiary. The formula for determining the monthly payment is different than (2) above. However, the “Pop-up Clause” has the same conditions as (B) above.

Section 7.04 MCN Plan Benefit Options. (The following are excerpts from the Plan).
(A) MCN Traditional Plan: The MCN Plan has three basic options:

   (1) Single Life Annuity. Similar to DTE Traditional Plan, Option III.
   (2) Life Annuity with Ten Years Certain. This option provides a reduced monthly Annuity payable to the Participant during the Participant’s lifetime and, thereafter, in the event of the Participant’s death within a ten-year period which begins on the Participant’s Annuity Starting date, in the same reduced monthly amount to the Beneficiary designated by the Participant for the balance of the 10-year period. The amount of the reduced monthly Annuity shall be determined by a formula in the complete Plan description.
    (3) Joint and Survivor Annuity with Ten Year Certain.
        (A) This option provides a reduced monthly Annuity, commencing immediately, payable to the Participant during the Participant’s lifetime and thereafter, to a contingent annuitant designated by the Participant during remaining lifetime of such contingent annuitant in an amount as designated by the Participant, of a reduced amount that was predetermined and in accordance with Tables G and H of the MCN Traditional Plan.
       (B) Adjustments if Participant Survives Spousal Beneficiary. If a Participant’s Annuity Starting Date is on or after January 1, 1992, and the Participant’s contingent annuitant is the Participant’s spouse, who predeceases the Participant after the Participant’s Annuity starting Date, the Participant’s benefit shall increase, beginning with first Annuity Payment due after such contingent annuitant spouse’s death, to the amount that the participant would have received had the Participant elected the Single Life Annuity Option. The preceding sentence shall not affect the amount, if any, payable if both the Participant and the contingent annuitant spouse die within the 10-year period of the Participant’s Annuity Starting Date.

NOTE: The above is intended to provide a broad perspective of some of the benefits that might be available you to depending on which Retirement Plan you retired under. Actual details of your individual benefits must be discussed with representatives of DTE Energy Company.
The DTE Energy Retirement Service Center can be reached at this toll free number: 1 866-294-8044
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 6:00 pm Eastern Time Zone.