| Summary Plan Description | ||
| Sections
at a Glance Administration |
Death
Benefits
This Page Describes
Just like the retirement program, the Death Benefit program is paid from a Fund to which both the Department and you contribute, and from earnings from investments. Department contributions are determined so that there is always enough money in this Fund to pay for benefits. If your death occurs while you are an active Full Member of the Plan, your beneficiary will receive:
If your death occurs after retirement, your beneficiary will receive:
Survivor's Optional Death Benefit Allowance If you die before you retire, and any of the conditions shown below are true on the date of your death, your surviving spouse/domestic partner may be eligible to receive a monthly allowance for life instead of the return of your Retirement Fund contributions. The conditions are:
Your spouse/domestic partner will be eligible if he or she is the only person entitled to the return of your Retirement Fund contributions. The allowance is calculated in the same way as an Option D retirement. (See "Option D Allowance") The Survivor's Optional Death Benefit Allowance is subject to annual adjustments based on the Consumer Price Index. (See "Adjustments to Your Retirement Allowance".)
Family Death Benefit Allowance The Plan provides a monthly allowance for each of your surviving children if the child is:
The amount payable is $416 a month for each child. If your spouse has care of one or more of your children, he or she will be paid a spouse's allowance of $416 per month, but the total amount payable as a result of your death cannot exceed $1,170 a month. The spouse's portion of this allowance will not be paid if the spouse is receiving a Survivor's Optional Death Benefit Allowance or an Eligible Spouse/Domestic Partner Allowance. (For Half-Time Civil Service Employees, the amount payable per person is $208 per month and the total amount payable cannot exceed $585 per month.)
Coverage While on Leave of Absence Your Death Benefit coverage will continue automatically during pay periods you do not work or receive a regular paycheck because you are on a paid disability leave or a paid Worker's Compensation leave, even though you did not make contributions. However, if you are on a leave without pay, including maternity leave, your death benefit coverage will not continue automatically unless you pay for coverage in advance. You may get protection for up to 13 payroll periods (approximately six months) while on leave without pay if you pay the required premium in advance. (This is not available to employees who transfer to another City department.) The premiums to be paid consist of your death benefit contributions plus the amount that is normally paid by the Department toward the benefit. You can arrange to make these advance payments by going to the Disability Section of the Retirement Office or by calling the “Leaves of Absence” telephone number. (Also see "Coverage While on Leave of Absence" in the Disability section.)
Supplemental Family Death Benefit Allowance Benefits In addition to the Family Death Benefit, an optional Supplemental Family Death Benefit is available to you if you have minor children. If you die after completing the necessary qualifying period, your covered family members will each receive, in addition to the Family Death Benefits payments described above, $520 more per month up to a family maximum of $1,066. The combined Family Death Benefit and Supplemental Family Death Benefit is $936 per child to a family maximum of $2,236 per month. (For Half-Time Civil Service Employees, the combined benefit is $728 per child to a family maximum of $1,651 per month.) Contributions Contributions are $2.25 per payroll period for active members, or $4.90 per month for retirees who have already paid the required 39 biweekly contributions, are still contributing when they retire, and want to continue coverage after retirement. Qualifying You must enroll and make contributions by payroll deduction for 39 successive biweekly payroll periods (approximately 18 months) before coverage becomes effective. Maintaining/Changing Coverage Deductions and coverage continue until you either request them to stop, or terminate employment with DWP other than by retirement. Both active and retired members may discontinue coverage at any time. It is important that you notify the Retirement Office that you want to stop deductions for coverage as soon as you no longer have eligible family members, i.e. your youngest child turns age 18. Active members who have contributed for at least 39 successive payroll periods before retirement and are still contributing at the time they retire may continue the coverage after retirement. If you want coverage to continue, you should discuss this with your retirement counselor as soon as you begin the retirement process. Active members may re-enroll but must again make contributions for 39 successive payroll periods before coverage is resumed. However, retired members may not re-enroll once coverage has been discontinued. Terminated members who return to Plan membership and members who transfer from other City departments must make contributions for 39 successive payroll periods after their return to qualify for coverage even if they were previously enrolled in the Supplemental Family Death Benefit Plan at DWP or at the City. Leaves of Absence - Members who have made the 39 Qualifying Contributions Disability/Workers' Compensation - Your coverage will continue and contributions will be forgiven until you return. Leaves of Absence Without Pay - You may continue coverage for up to 13 payroll periods by paying both the member and Department premiums in advance of the covered period. (See "Coverage While on Leave of Absence" to learn how to arrange to make these advance payments.) Your contributions will resume when you return to work. Leaves of Absence - Members who have not made the 39 Qualifying Contributions Your contributions toward qualification will resume when you return to work. Your coverage will not start until you complete the 39 qualifying contributions.
When Family Death Benefits and Supplemental Family Death Benefits Stop An allowance paid for the benefits of a child stops:
The spouse's allowance stops:
Not more than one Family Death Benefit allowance and one Supplemental Family Death Benefit allowance will be paid to or for any one person.
Death Benefits Claim Procedure The Death Benefit Section of the Retirement Office should be notified immediately of the death of a Plan member or any person receiving Plan benefits. The Death Benefit Section staff will contact the beneficiary and assist in the filing of a claim for the benefits. The staff will also notify the member's Division, Paymaster, Credit Union, Employees' Association, and the Health Plan Office. Generally, benefits are paid within approximately six weeks; however, payment cannot be made until the required documents are received.
IMPORTANT: Be sure that your beneficiary designation is always up to date. Remember that changes such as birth, death, marriage, or divorce may require a change of your beneficiary. You may change your beneficiary at any time regarding Insured-Life Death Benefits and any Option A return of contributions from the Retirement Fund. However, your selection of a beneficiary to receive monthly payments for life under Options B or C is final upon your retirement. If you die without a named beneficiary, the Plan will pay benefits to the following "successive preference beneficiaries" in the order listed:
Since California is a community property state, a former spouse is entitled to a percentage (usually 50%) of your Retirement Plan benefits that are attributable to the time you were married. If you are considering dissolving your marriage, you should contact the Retirement Office for clarification of your benefits. The Retirement Office will follow the division of Plan benefits that is ordered by the Court, consistent with the terms of the Plan. It is recommended that the Retirement Office review the property settlement dividing your death benefit before it is filed with the Court. The Retirement Office has drafted sample provisions of this Order. Most of the time, a calculation known as the Time-Rule Formula is used to determine the community property interest in the death benefits. The community property portion is determined by dividing the period of time that the member was an active member of the Plan while married to the spouse by the total period of time that the member was an active member of the Plan. The percentage of the benefits owed to the spouse is half of the community property. The Retirement Office will require a copy of your dissolution judgment and/or property settlement dividing your death benefits to comply with the Order.
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| Although this document discusses the Plan in some detail, if there are any conflicts, real or apparent, between this document and the City Charter or the Plan, the terms of the Charter and the Plan will at all times be the final authority. Therefore before relying on provisions described in this document or taking any action which will affect your future welfare, you and your beneficiaries are urged to consult the Retirement Plan Office for the specific terms of the Plan in any situation. |