pension refused after involuntary severance from company

[anabelle100106]

I am located in Pennsylvania. I was employed by a top food manufactuing company from July 23,2003 to June 30,2008. The company offered a severance package to me that included severance pay, health benefits etc. I was one month shy of hitting the 5 year mark for getting vested in my pension. I was told that they could not guarentee that I would be vested since the I was a month short and they would not have an answer for me until after I left. They said that I should get it though because when there were people outsourced the year before, they all recieved the pension. Some were three years short of the required five years.
I spoke with the company that works with the pensions and they said that I would not be vested on July 23, 2008 but rather on July 1,2008. This means that I was not a month short of being vested in the pension program but rather 1 day! Needless to say, I left and they denied my pension. I was wondering if they were legally able to deny me my pension. If so, is it something that if I fought would be successful:confused :?

 

[Beth3]

Only someone with in-depth knowledge of the company's pension/retirement plan can answer that question. Ask the company for a copy of the Plan Document. If you need help interpreting it (these documents can be pretty confusing), take it to an attorney or retirement plan expert.