Jun 3, 2026
Luis Ramos was a well-known figure in his Jersey City neighborhood for decades. Ramos was the unofficial “Mayor of Ogden Avenue,” and spent nearly 30 years taking care of Janet Moore Park, according to the Jersey City Times. Whether it was mowing lawns, planting flowers or greeting generations of families who passed through the community green space, Ramos was there.
But while he faithfully showed up to work year after year, 95-year-old Ramos says he was missing out on something that could have changed his retirement dramatically: a pension. Now living with Alzheimer’s disease, Ramos learned he may have qualified for pension benefits decades ago.
Advertisement
The discovery has sparked legal action, prompting the city to acknowledge a historic enrollment failure and raised questions about how many workers could be missing retirement benefits they’re entitled to receive.
A lifetime of work with no retirement benefits
Ramos was hired by Jersey City’s Public Works Department in September 1995. According to his daughter, Miriam Romero, city officials repeatedly told her father he wasn’t eligible to enroll in the state’s pension system because he was considered a seasonal employee.
Romero claims that employment records later showed he was actually classified as a permanent provisional employee as of 1998, a status that should have qualified him for pension participation.
Ramos continued working even though his health was declining because he never thought he would receive retirement benefits. Even after the death of his wife in 2024, he reportedly kept showing up for work earning about $18 an hour.
“He kept working and working because he was told he was not going to get a pension,” Romero said.
It wasn’t until his daughter began digging through decades-old pay stubs and employment documents that she found what she believes was a costly mistake.
Using records her father had carefully saved for years, Romero reconstructed his employment history and presented evidence that he should have been enrolled in the pension system long ago.
Advertisement
City officials say they have agreed to pay the full $39,342 needed to bring Ramos’s Public Employees Retirement System account current, covering both employee and employer contributions. The city has also committed to providing premium-free health care benefits, though the family continues to pursue additional damages.
But for his family, the consequences go beyond missed monthly pension checks. Romero says the lack of retirement benefits created years of hardship for the family, including limiting her work hours so she could care for her father and renovating a section of the house so that her son could also move in and help.
Romero says, “We would have been able to put him in the nursing home down the block,” if they had known about the pension earlier.
Must Read
- You can now build wealth like a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to chase down rent or take 3 A.M tenant calls
- Goldman Sachs used to hoard prime real estate deals for the ultrarich. Two ex-analysts just opened the door for $250
- Robert Kiyosaki begs investors not to miss this ‘explosion’ — says this 1 asset will surge 400% in a year
Join 250,000+ readers and get Moneywise’s best stories and exclusive interviews first — clear insights curated and delivered weekly. Subscribe now.
How to check to see if you’re owed money from a former job
Ramos’s story highlights a reality many workers never consider: retirement benefits can slip through the cracks, especially after job changes, mergers, layoffs or decades-long careers.
If you’re not sure if you might be owed money, here are a few steps worth taking:
Review old employment records. Pay stubs, offer letters, W-2s, pension statements and union documents can help you figure out if there are any workplace retirement plans you can cash in on.
Advertisement
Contact former employers. Even if a company has changed ownership or restructured, human resources departments might still be able to verify whether you participated in a pension or retirement plan.
Check with state unclaimed-property databases. Retirement distributions, dormant accounts and other financial assets sometimes end up in state custody. You can search the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) database by first and last name.
Search for missing retirement benefits. The federal government’s Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) maintains a searchable database of unclaimed pension benefits. Workers can also check records through the U.S. Department of Labor and Social Security Administration.
Review union records if applicable. Workers covered by collective bargaining agreements may have access to separate pension plans administered through unions or multi-employer benefit funds.
Keep documents. Ramos’s case may never have come to light if his family hadn’t held onto employment records dating back decades.
While you may not discover that you had previously qualified for a pension, it could be worth checking if you’ve had multiple jobs in the past. A forgotten retirement account, unclaimed pension or overlooked workplace benefit could represent thousands of dollars that rightfully belong to you.
You May Also Like
- Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake — here’s what it is and the simple steps to fix it ASAP
- Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how
- Millionaires under 43 are reshaping investing — just 25% of their portfolios are in stocks. Here’s where their money is going
- Robert Kiyosaki issues grim warning for baby boomers. Many could be ‘wiped out’ and homeless ‘all over’ the country. How to protect yourself now
Freelance writer with an economic development and consulting background.
