Life Events and Their Impact on Your Benefits

Life happens, and when events like separation, divorce or the death of a spouse occurs, it can be an overwhelming time.

Because there are often important administrative tasks to take care of after a life event, this article provides a summary of the things you’ll need to consider when it comes to your benefits, life insurance and pensions.

Extended Health and Dental Benefits

If your marital status changes due to a divorce, dissolution of your common-law relationship or becoming widowed, you must remove your spouse from your Extended Health plan, Dental plan and EFAP coverage.

If you must maintain medical and dental coverage for your ex-spouse as a result of divorce and/or dissolution of a relationship agreement, then you will need to purchase individual private coverage.

Your spouse may remain covered under your plans if you are separated, but still legally married.

To remove your former spouse, please complete the following forms:

Life insurance

When your marital status changes due to marriage, divorce, dissolution of a common-law relationship or becoming widowed, you should also review your beneficiary designation(s) for:

  • Basic group life insurance
  • Optional group life insurance (if applicable)
  • Optional group accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) (if applicable)

Getting divorced does not automatically change your beneficiary from your former spouse. It is your responsibility to complete any updates to your beneficiaries.

To update your beneficiary designation, complete the following applicable forms:

If you are enrolled in the optional group spousal life insurance and optional spousal AD&D coverage, you will need to cancel coverage by completing this Optional Life Change Form.

All completed forms should be returned to:

Vancouver Campus
Attention: Payroll
UBC Financial Operations
5th Floor – TEF 3
6190 Agronomy Road
Vancouver, BC  V6T 1Z3

Okanagan Campus
UBC Finance Operations and Strategies
EME 2171 – 1137 Alumni Avenue
Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7

UBC Pensions

Remember to notify UBC Pensions if there is a change in your marital status. You can contact the UBC Pensions Administration Office by calling 604-822-8100 or visit the following website for more information:


Do you have questions? Contact the Health, Wellbeing & Benefits team at benefitsinfo@hr.ubc.ca.

Tagged

  • HR
  • Benefits FYI

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