This approved $332 million pension settlement provides individualized back payments and, for eligible living participants or spouses, monthly annuity benefits. Living members with correct records generally need no application. Deceased members' estates must supply successor information. Class members cannot opt out.
Benefit Summary
Eligible living participants and spouses: available benefits include Individual back payment, Monthly pension.
Successors of deceased former participant Class Members: available benefits include Individual back payment.
Payments come from the $332,000,000 settlement fund and may change after approved deductions.
Available Awards
Eligible living participants and spouses: Individual back payment + Monthly pension; Successors of deceased former participant Class Members: Individual back payment
Who Is Included
The Class includes people entitled under Appendices B, C, or D of the Colgate-Palmolive Company Employees’ Retirement Income Plan to a greater benefit than their Accrued Benefit, if they received a Plan lump-sum payment, plus their beneficiaries and estates. A person must also be listed on Attachment A to the Settlement Agreement.
- Proof required: Living members with correct records generally need no application. Report address changes on the Personal Information Form. For a deceased member, the administrator requires successor information and supporting estate-authority documents; see the current official instructions below.
Claim and Payment Information
- Claim method: Existing pension payment channel; email or mail information updates and successor forms.
- Instructions: Keep your address and pension records current. Living members receive payment using existing records. Successors should promptly contact the Notice Administrator and complete the applicable form and document requirements.
Questions & Answers
Do I need to file a claim or update my address?
If you are a living class member and the records are correct, the notice requires no application. Payments use the address on your notice or your existing electronic pension-payment arrangement.
For an address change, send the Personal Information Form to McCutcheon v. Colgate Settlement, c/o Notice Administrator, P.O. Box 16, West Point, PA 19486, or [email protected]. The notice does not give an address-update deadline. Deceased-member payments require the separate steps below.
What should I do if the person named on the notice has died?
The original notice says to report the death and complete Part B of its Personal Information Form. The current official deceased-member page provides a Successor Information Form and requires proof that the recipient is authorized to act for the estate. It says an estate must be opened or reopened if necessary. Checked September 10, 2026: https://colgatepensionclassaction.com/deceased-class-members/.
Contact the administrator at (833) 215-9289 or [email protected] for the applicable form and attachments. Follow those instructions promptly; being an heir alone does not establish authority to receive the estate's check. An estate lawyer can help with probate requirements.
Do the back payment, participant pension and survivor pension all pay at once?
No. The back payment makes up for missed prior monthly benefits. An eligible living participant also receives monthly payments for life, or an increase in the annuity already being paid.
A survivor annuity is conditional: after the participant dies, the spouse from the original lump-sum payment date must still be living and eligible. That spouse may then receive the survivor amount for life. Ordinary heirs do not inherit an ongoing monthly annuity. The payment form depends on marital status when the original lump sum was paid.
Are the amounts printed on my notice final?
No. The notice figures were estimates based on each person's pension history, not an average share of the fund. The calculation accounts for missed annuity payments from the original lump-sum date, interest, prior annuity payments and retroactive payments around 2014, then applies the settlement discount and approved deductions.
Corrections and final fee awards could change the estimate, and tax withholding may apply. The official site now reports that the final payment spreadsheet was filed under seal for privacy; contact the administrator about your personal figure. Checked September 10, 2026: https://colgatepensionclassaction.com/.
When were payments supposed to begin?
The original notice estimated about 90 days after the settlement became final, which is different from the day the court approved it. The official site now says Colgate had until June 18, 2026 to make back payments and begin monthly benefits for living eligible participants and spouses. It states that late payments generally accrue 5% interest absent special circumstances. Checked September 10, 2026: https://colgatepensionclassaction.com/.
That is a payment-start deadline, not a claim deadline or proof that every person was paid. If your payment is missing, contact the Colgate Pension Service Center at (888) 982-7227 or the Notice Administrator at (833) 215-9289.
Can I opt out, and what claims are released?
No. This is a mandatory class covering the people identified in Attachment A to the settlement agreement. The court's January 14, 2026 final order makes the agreement binding.
The release covers the Plan-related claims defined in Section 3 of the agreement, including covered unknown claims. The notice states that challenges to the settlement amount had to use the objection procedure. The court retains authority over enforcement of the agreement. Ask class counsel about a particular concern rather than assuming you can bring a new claim.
Can I still object to the settlement?
The notice required objections to reach the court by December 12, 2025 and be mailed simultaneously to both sides' counsel. That deadline has passed. Notice Q&A 10 contains the full required content, supporting documents and speaking-request procedure.
An objection was different from an opt-out, which was never available here. Contact class counsel Eli Gottesdiener at [email protected] about a current settlement concern.
Did the fairness hearing happen?
Yes. The final order records a hearing on January 12, 2026 and grants approval on January 14. The notice had scheduled it for 2:30 p.m. in Courtroom 1106 at 40 Foley Square, New York. Attendance was optional; the hearing is now past.
The order is linked from the official site, checked September 10, 2026: https://colgatepensionclassaction.com/. The settlement does not establish an admission of liability.
Other Important Dates
- Objection deadline: 2025-12-12
- Final approval hearing: January 12, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. (hearing held; final order entered January 14)
- Hearing location: United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, 40 Foley Square, New York, NY 10007-1312, Courtroom 1106
Case Details
- Total settlement fund: $332,000,000
- Case name: McCutcheon v. Colgate-Palmolive Co., et al.
- Case number: 16-cv-4170
- Court: United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
- Administrator: Notice Administrator
- Official Settlement Website: https://colgatepensionclassaction.com/
Sources
Claim form, FAQ, deadlines, administrator information
Court-approved notice describing eligibility and benefits