Plan Book C for Safety Members

Death and Continuing Benefits Depend on Several Factors

If a Plan C member dies prior to retirement, death benefits are determined based on:

• Amount of service credit member accrued
• Category of death (service-connected or nonservice-connected)
• Relationship of recipient to member (eligible survivor or named beneficiary)

Note: To qualify as an eligible survivor in cases involving the death of an active member, a spouse or domestic partner must have been married to or in a duly registered California domestic partnership with the member prior to the member’s death. No minimum length of marriage or domestic partnership requirement applies.

Pre-Retirement Death Benefits

Service-Connected

Basic Death Benefit

Lump-sum payment of member’s accumulated contributions

Salary Death Benefit: one month of member’s pensionable compensation for each full year (not to exceed six months) of Plan C service

Optional Death Allowance

Full amount (100%) of disability retirement allowance deceased member would have received had he or she been retired on an SCD at the time of death

Combined Benefit

Salary Death Benefit

Actuarially reduced Optional Death (monthly) Allowance

Special Death Benefit

Not applicable

Service-Connected resulting from external violence or physical force

Basic Death Benefit

Lump-sum payment of member’s accumulated contributions

Salary Death Benefit: one month of member’s pensionable compensation for each full year (not to exceed six months) of Plan C service

Optional Death Allowance

Full amount (100%) of disability retirement allowance deceased member would have received had he or she been retired on an SCD at the time of death

Combined Benefit

Salary Death Benefit

Actuarially reduced Optional Death (monthly) Allowance

Special Death Benefit

One-time, lump-sum payment for surviving spouse or domestic partner: equal to 12 months of member’s average monthly pensionable compensation

Monthly benefit for minor children: fixed percentage of Optional Death Allowance payable to surviving spouse or domestic partner (or person having legal custody)

Nonservice-Connected (five or more years of service credit)

Basic Death Benefit

Lump-sum payment of member’s accumulated contributions

Salary Death Benefit: one month of member’s pensionable compensation for each full year (not to exceed six months) of Plan C service

Optional Death Allowance

65% of disability retirement allowance deceased member would have received had he or she been retired on an NSCD at the time of death

Combined Benefit

Salary Death Benefit

Actuarially reduced Optional Death (monthly) Allowance

Special Death Benefit

Not applicable

Nonservice-Connected (less than five years of service credit)

Basic Death Benefit

Lump-sum payment of member’s accumulated contributions

Salary Death Benefit: one month of member’s pensionable compensation for each full year (not to exceed six months) of Plan C service

Optional Death Allowance

Not applicable

Combined Benefit

Not applicable

Special Death Benefit

Not applicable

Death of member with less than five years of service credit who left County service with his or her retirement contributions on deposit

Basic Death Benefit

Lump-sum payment of member’s accumulated contributions

Optional Death Allowance

Not applicable

Combined Benefit

Not applicable

Special Death Benefit

Not applicable

Explanation of Benefits

The following explains the benefits (listed in the Pre-Retirement Death Benefit chart) associated with the death of an active Plan C member. Depending on the circumstances of the case, the benefit(s) may be payable as a lump-sum cash payment, or a continuing benefit, or a combination of the two.

A Basic Death Benefit is a lump-sum payment consisting of the deceased member’s accumulated contributions and the Salary Death Benefit. The Salary Death Benefit is an amount equal to one month of the member’s pensionable compensation (averaged over the past 12 months) for each full year of Plan C service credit, not to exceed six months. For example, if the member had three years of service credit, the Salary Death Benefit would equal three months of pensionable compensation. If the member had nine years of service credit, the Salary Death Benefit would equal six months of pensionable compensation.

An individual may elect to receive the Basic Death Benefit in monthly installments, rather than one lump-sum payment. The maximum installment period is 120 months (10 years). A trust or estate may only receive a single lump-sum amount.

An Optional Death Allowance pays an amount equal to a specified percentage (based on whether the death is service-connected or nonservice-connected) of the retirement benefit the deceased member would have received had he or she been retired at the time of death. This benefit is available to a surviving spouse or domestic partner or minor child only.

The Combined Benefit includes a lump-sum Salary Death Benefit along with a monthly continuing benefit. The monthly continuing benefit is calculated as an Optional Death Allowance, reduced by the actuarial equivalent of the Salary Death Benefit. The reduction is based on the age and life expectancy of the eligible survivor.

Pre-Retirement continuing benefits terminate upon the death of the eligible surviving spouse or domestic partner. In the case of an eligible surviving child(ren), the benefit continues until the child is no longer eligible.

Rights of Eligible Survivors May Supersede Other Beneficiaries

The rights and claims of a surviving spouse, domestic partner, or eligible surviving child(ren) to receive a continuing benefit may supersede the rights and claims of any other named beneficiary. A continuing benefit can only be paid to a surviving spouse or domestic partner or minor children; a named beneficiary is someone other than an eligible survivor who qualifies for the Basic Death Benefit only.

Service-Connected Death

• Basic Death Benefit
  • Payable to a named beneficiary or member’s estate
• Optional Death Allowance
  • Full amount (100%) of the disability retirement allowance the deceased member would have received had he or she been retired on an SCD at the time of death
  • Payable to eligible survivor
• Combined Benefit
  • Payable to eligible survivor

If a safety member dies in the performance of duty as the result of external violence or physical force, his or her survivors may be eligible for special death benefits:*

Special Death Benefit: Surviving spouse or domestic partner
A one-time, lump-sum payment equal to 12 months of the decedent’s average monthly pensionable compensation.

Minor Child Special Death Benefit
Calculated as a fixed percentage of the Optional Death Allowance, this monthly benefit is paid on behalf of the minor child(ren). The benefit is payable to the surviving spouse or domestic partner or the child(ren)’s legal custodian until the child(ren) marries or reaches age 18.**

• One child: 25 percent
• Two children: 40 percent
• Three or more children: 50 percent

*Certain eligibility rules apply.
**The benefit may be extended through age 21 if the minor child remains unmarried and a full-time student in an accredited educational institution.

Nonservice-Connected Death

Plan C members with at least five years of service credit:

• Basic Death Benefit
• Optional Death Allowance
  • 65 percent of the disability retirement allowance the deceased member would have received had he or she been retired on an NSCD at the time of death
• Combined Benefit

If the member had accrued a minimum of five years of service credit, the surviving spouse or domestic partner, if named as beneficiary, may opt to receive the Basic Death Benefit or the Optional Death Allowance or the Combined Benefit.

If a surviving spouse or domestic partner is not a named beneficiary, he or she may elect either the Optional Death Allowance or the Combined Benefit.

If the named beneficiary opts to receive the Basic Death Benefit and the death is later determined by the BOR to be service-connected, the beneficiary is not eligible for any additional benefits.

Service Credit Affects Active Death Benefits
Upon the nonservice-connected death of an active Plan C member with less than five years of service credit, a Basic Death Benefit is payable to a named beneficiary. No other benefits apply.

Upon the pre-retirement death of a terminated Plan C member who accrued at least five years of service credit and left his contributions on deposit with LACERA, the member’s accumulated contributions are payable in a lump sum to the named beneficiary or claimant.

County-Sponsored Benefits for Active Members*

Life Insurance
Plan C participants in Options, Choices, and Flex are covered by a $2,000 basic term life insurance plan paid by the County. Options and Choices participants may elect to purchase additional term life insurance. Flex and MegaFlex participants may elect to purchase Group Variable Universal Life (GVUL) insurance.

County of Los Angeles Long-Term Disability & Survivor Benefit
This County-sponsored plan provides benefits if you become disabled during active service; it also provides benefits to your eligible survivor in the event of your death as an active member. Contact your Department for details on County-sponsored insurance plans. LACERA does not sponsor or administer these plans.