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 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 certified 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 or state-registered domestic partner must provide a
marriage license or domestic partnership registration 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.
