Weaver v. Retirement Plan for Employees of Hanson Building Materials America, Inc.

**Weaver v. Retirement Plan for Employees of Hanson Building Materials America, Inc.** This case involved a worker named Weaver who was denied pension benefits by his employer's retirement plan. Weaver believed he qualified for his pension, but the plan administrators rejected his claim by adding an eligibility requirement that wasn't actually written in the official plan documents. The federal appeals court ruled in Weaver's favor. The judges found that the retirement plan had "abused its discretion" by denying Weaver's pension benefits based on a requirement that didn't exist in the plan's written rules. The court ordered the plan to reconsider Weaver's claim properly. Additionally, the court sent the case back to a lower court to decide whether Weaver should receive payment for his attorney fees and interest on the money he was owed. This decision is important for workers because it establishes that pension plan administrators cannot make up new rules on the spot to deny benefits. Retirement plans must follow their own written guidelines when deciding who qualifies for benefits. Workers who face similar situations now have legal precedent showing that plans cannot impose requirements that aren't clearly stated in the official plan documents.