The Illinois Pension Assistance Project (IPAP) has been added to the Pension Counseling and Information Program run by The Pension Rights Center.  Residents of the state who have questions about their traditional pension plans, 401(k) plans or other employer-sponsored retirement plan can turn to IPAP for free personalized legal assistance to resolve their problem.

IPAP will be run by the Pension Action Center at the University of Massachusetts-Boston, which also oversees the New England Pension Assistance Project, which has been very successful. The Illinois program began July 2, 2012.

Illinois has a significant number of workers and retirees who have participated in pension plans. However, it was not among the 29 states served by a U.S. Administration on Aging Pension Counseling and Information Project. Thanks to the Chicago-based Retirement Research Foundation's generous grant, the Pension Action Center will help Illinois residents increase their knowledge of and access to retirement income benefits.