What to do when a CalPERS account holder dies

CalPERS requires a certified copy of the death certificate showing the cause or manner of death, the completed application, and proof of the survivor's relationship. Depending on the benefit, that can include a marriage certificate or domestic partnership registration certificate, the survivor's birth certificate, children's birth certificates, Letters of Administration or Letters Testamentary if the estate is involved, and a Certification of Trust if a trust is the beneficiary.

It depends. Continuing monthly allowances include the 1957 Survivor Benefit (half of the highest service retirement benefit, to an eligible spouse, registered domestic partner, or minor child), the 1959 Survivor Benefit, the Special Death Benefit, and any monthly benefit created by the retirement payment option the member elected. Lump-sum benefits include the Basic Death Benefit and Limited Death Benefit (return of member contributions and interest) and, for retirees, the Retired Death Benefit.

The 1957 Survivor Benefit is a monthly allowance paid to an eligible surviving spouse, registered domestic partner, or minor child when an eligible member dies before retirement. It equals half of the highest service retirement benefit the member would have received had they retired on the date of death. A minor child is eligible until age 18 or marriage, whichever comes first. Eligibility is set by law, not by a beneficiary designation.

The Retired Death Benefit is a one-time lump sum paid when a retiree dies, set by the former employer's contract with CalPERS. It is $2,000 for State of California and California State University retirees, $500 to $5,000 for public agency retirees depending on the agency's contract, and typically $2,000 for school retirees. If the retiree worked for more than one employer, the highest contracted amount is paid. It goes to the beneficiary the retiree designated for the post-retirement lump-sum death benefit.

At retirement, a member chooses how the pension is paid. The Unmodified Allowance pays the highest monthly amount for the retiree's lifetime with no continuing monthly benefit to a survivor beyond any statutory survivor continuance. A reduced option (such as Option 1, Option 2, or Option 2W) lowers the monthly payment so that a designated beneficiary receives a continuing monthly benefit or a return of remaining contributions after the retiree dies.

A trust or estate can be named as the beneficiary for the lump-sum death benefits, such as the return of member contributions and the Retired Death Benefit. If a trust is the beneficiary, CalPERS requires a Certification of Trust; if the estate is involved, CalPERS requires Letters of Administration or Letters Testamentary. Continuing monthly survivor allowances, by contrast, are paid to eligible individuals under statutory rules and cannot be redirected to a trust.

Yes. A spouse or registered domestic partner may be entitled to a community property share of the death benefit even if the member named a different person as beneficiary. In that case CalPERS pays the community property share to the spouse or partner and the remainder to the designated beneficiary.

Contact the CalPERS Customer Contact Center at 888 CalPERS (888-225-7377), TTY (877) 249-7442. Written survivor benefit correspondence and completed applications go to the CalPERS Disability & Survivor Benefits Division, Survivor Benefits, P.O. Box 942715, Sacramento, CA 94229-2715, or by fax to (800) 959-6545.