It is important to keep your beneficiary information up-to-date.
Your beneficiaries should understand the benefits provided to
them in the event of your death.
If you die as an active member, a death benefit may be available
to your beneficiary(ies) or surviving spouse, state-registered
domestic partner, or Alameda County domestic partner and eligible
minor children. If you die while a deferred member, your
beneficiary may receive a refund of your contributions plus
accrued interest. Interest stops accruing for all member accounts
upon death.
Be sure to keep your retirement plan beneficiaries up-to-date
with ACERA. You can change your beneficiaries at any time. Simply
complete and return an ACERA Active or Deferred member
Beneficiary Designation Form.
In many cases, an employer will notify ACERA of a member’s death.
Beneficiaries should be prepared to notify ACERA as well.
Beneficiaries will need to take the following steps:
- Contact ACERA and report the member’s death.
- Provide a copy of the member’s death certificate to ACERA.
- Provide the member’s birth certificate if it is not already
on file with ACERA.
- Provide a copy of his or her own Social Security card to
ACERA.
- Provide his or her own birth certificate to ACERA, if
eligible for a monthly continuance benefit.
- A spouse, state-registered domestic partner, or Alameda
County domestic partner must provide a marriage license, domestic
partnership registration, or Alameda County’s Affidavit
of Domestic Partnership if a monthly continuance is available.
Please review the Active Member Death Benefits tables on
the Death Benefits page for
more details.
To report a death, use our Report a Death
web form.
