Basic Provisions
Your retirement benefits are determined by your plan, age at retirement, amount of service credit, and final compensation. An outline of your plan’s basic provisions is provided below for quick reference. For more detailed explanations about your plan’s provisions, refer to your online plan book.
- Contributions
- Employee: pre-tax* payroll deductions as a percentage of compensation earnable
*Contributions for benefits resulting from industrial accidents may be made on an after-tax basis.
- Employer: funds contributed by the County or outside district at recommended rates
Contribution rates are based on actuarial recommendation and are subject to change. Read more about how contribution rates are set.
- Service Requirement for Retirement/Vesting
- After five years of County (or combined County and reciprocal system) service credit
- Retirement Eligibility
- Age 50 with five years of County (or combined County and reciprocal system) service credit
- Age 70, regardless of years of service credit
- Final Compensation
- Based on highest monthly average of compensation earnable during any 36-consecutive-month period of service*
- For pay items included in your pensionable earnings, visit the PEPRA Pay Codes page.
*LACERA plans are subject to benefit and compensation limits under Internal Revenue Codes §§ 401(a)(17) and 415(b) and PEPRA §7522.10 as applicable.
Benefit Enhancements
- Certain eligibility requirements apply.
- Purchasable Service Credit
- Certain County and non-County employment prior to LACERA membership
- Reciprocity
- Retirement benefits when employees transfer between reciprocal public agencies
- Retiree Healthcare
- LACERA-administered retiree healthcare benefits (Tier 2)
-
Those with membership dates between January 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014 have Tier 1 benefits.
- Cost of Living Allowance (COLA)
- Retirement allowance eligible for COLA increases
Disability, Death, and Survivor Provisions
- Disability Benefits
- LACERA pays benefits if the Board of Retirement determines an active member has become disabled
- Death Benefits
- LACERA pays death benefits if a member dies in active service
- LACERA pays a $5,000 death/burial benefit when a retired member dies, unless they were later employed by another system under the County Employees Retirement Law (CERL).
- Continuing Benefits
- LACERA pays up to 100 percent of a retired member’s allowance to an eligible survivor or designated beneficiary*
*Certain eligibility and restrictions apply; see Eligible Beneficiaries for more details.
Benefits Provided by Los Angeles County
LACERA does not administer these benefits; contact the County Employee Benefits Hotline at 213-388-9982 for details.
- Retiree Healthcare Subsidy
- County subsidizes retiree medical/dental insurance based on a minimum of 10 years of service credit
- Disability Benefits
- County pays disability benefits in the event an active member becomes disabled*
*Certain eligibility conditions and restrictions apply.
- Death Benefits
- County pays death benefits in the event an active member dies
- Life Insurance
- County provides $2,000 life insurance benefit for active members who die in service**
**Eligible employees may purchase additional coverage. County-sponsored life and disability insurance benefits and options vary for MegaFlex participants.