Being a vested participant means that you are eligible to begin receiving a benefit from the plan ( your normal retirement benefit) on your normal retirement date. Which is the first of the month following your normal retirement age ( generally age 60 for group 1 members and age 65 for group 2 members). Former participants of the Northern California retail clerks unions and food employers joint pension trust fund whose last collective bargaining agreement provided for retirement at age 65 as well those former participants of the California butchers pension trust fund who incurred a Separation from covered employment prior to that fund’s merger normal retirement age of 65