Service-Connected Death Benefits

The following benefits may be payable to a named beneficiary or eligible survivor in the case of a service-connected death of an active member in plans A, B, C, D, or G.

• Basic Death Benefit (payable to named beneficiary or member’s estate):
  • Lump-sum payment of member’s accumulated contributions
  • Salary Death Benefit: one month of member’s compensation earnable for each full year of Plan D service, for up to six months
• Optional Death Allowance (payable to eligible survivor): Full amount (100 percent) of monthly disability retirement allowance deceased member would have received had he or she been retired on a service-connected disability at the time of death
• Combined Benefit (payable to eligible survivor):
  • Salary Death Benefit
  • Actuarially reduced monthly Optional Death Allowance paid to eligible survivor

Eligible survivors to receive a continuing allowance in the event of an active member’s death are:

• A spouse or domestic partner who married or entered into a duly registered domestic partnership with the member prior to the member's death. No minimum length of marriage or domestic partnership requirement applies. 
• In the absence of a surviving spouse or domestic partner, the decedent's unmarried minor children under age 18. Eligibility may be extended until age 22 if the eligible child(ren) remains unmarried and a full-time student in an accredited educational institution.

If the member did not complete a beneficiary designation form, by law the decedent’s surviving spouse or domestic partner or minor child (in the absence of a spouse or domestic partner) would receive any applicable death benefits. In addition, the rights of a surviving spouse or domestic partner of an active member who dies before retirement may take precedence over the rights of any other named beneficiary.

Special Death Benefits for Survivors of Safety Members

Additional special death benefits may be payable to eligible survivors of a member who had a service-connected death resulting from violence or physical force. LACERA will notify the eligible survivor of all applicable benefits:

• One-time, lump-sum payment for surviving spouse or domestic partner equal to 12 months of member’s average monthly compensation earnable
• Monthly benefit for minor children: fixed percentage of optional death allowance payable to surviving spouse or domestic partner (or person having legal custody)

In addition, the Public Safety Officers Benefits (PSOB) Program, which is administered through the Bureau of Justice Assistance, provides benefits to survivors of public safety officers killed in the line of duty. For information on the PSOB, call 888-744-6513. LACERA does not administer these benefits.

County-Sponsored Benefits

County-sponsored benefits vary according to the member’s benefits plan, and some members may have elected to purchase additional life insurance coverage. Contact the County’s Employee Benefits Hotline at 213-388-9982 for more information. LACERA does not administer these plans.