Retiree Survivor Benefits

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT ASSOCIATION

If You are a Surviving Spouse or State of California Registered Domestic Partner

CCCERA provides a continuing monthly benefit to surviving spouses/domestic partners after the death of members retired for service, or non-service connected disabilities. The benefit varies, depending on the option the retired member chose at time of retirement. For example:

At time of retirement, a member chose the "unmodified option." Upon the member's death, 60% of the member's retirement allowance will be continued for the spouse/domestic partner's lifetime, if the spouse/domestic partner is the beneficiary on record*. (Please click this link to read an explanation of other option choices that can be elected at time of retirement.)

If there is no surviving spouse, and there are eligible children under the age of 18, or 21 (if a full-timestudent and unmarried), the benefit will be paid until the last child reaches the age of 21. If there is no spouse or minor children, the designated beneficiary will receive a lump sum payment of any member contributions that were not used to pay retirement benefits.

*Since California is a Community Property state, spouses/registered domestic partners are the primary beneficiaries for retirement benefits, unless a Spousal Waiver is signed and on file with the Retirement Office.

Survivor Continuance for Spouses/Registered Domestic Partners of Members Retired for Service-Connected Disabilities

Spouses/domestic partners of members who retired for service-connected disabilities will receive 100% of the retirement allowance the member was receiving at time of death for their lifetimes, if the benefit was not modified by one of the options mentioned above.

However, no allowance will be paid in either circumstance, unless the surviving spouse/registered domestic partner was married/registered to the member at least one year prior to the date of the member's retirement, OR unless the spouse/domestic partner is 55 years of age or over, and has been married/registered to the member at least two years before the date of death.

In both situations, if there is no surviving spouse/domestic partner, the allowance will be continued until every child (or children) of the deceased member attain the age of 18, or 21 if the children remain unmarried and are enrolled in school. If there is no spouse or minor children, the designated beneficiary will receive a lump sum payment of any member contributions that were not used to pay retirement benefits.

CCCERA also provides a one-time lump sum death benefit.

Tier 1, Safety and Tier 3 survivors receive $5,000.
Tier 2 and Tier 3 Disability survivors receive $7,000.

Federal income taxes of 20% are deducted from these lump sums. A 2% state tax is an optional deduction.

Reporting a Retiree Death

To report a retiree death, call the Retirement Office and speak with a retiree counselor. The counselor will ask for your name, and/or the estate executor's name, the date of death, and the Social Security Number of the deceased. After CCCERA has this information, we will send a letter describing the documents that are required to process the survivor benefit. Generally, you will need to submit:

An original Death Certificate
A copy of a marriage or domestic partner certificate (if the retiree was married or in a state registered domestic partnership)
A copy of the spouse or domestic partner's birth certificate
A copy of the spouse or domestic partner's Social Security Card
A copy of the will or trust
Executor's Authorization to Administer Estate
Executors must also list the estate's Tax Identification Number

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