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Survivor Benefits

SFERS provides a financial safety net to your survivor(s) in the event of your death. As a member of a Safety Plan, the type and amount of the benefit your survivor receives is dependent upon the following factors:

Safety Survivor Benefits

Survivor plans detailed below apply to the following plans: New Plan Tier III – A8.604 (Fire) & A8.605 (Police), New Plan Tier II – A8.601 (Fire) & A8.602 (Police), and New Plan Tier I – A8.597 (Police) & A8.598 (Fire).

CircumstanceSurvivor Benefits
Work-related Cause – Qualified to Retire for Service on Date of DeathPaid to Qualified Survivor:

Monthly continuation allowance equal to the service retirement payable had you retired for service on the date of death; minimum 50% (adjusted at QSR – when you would have had 25 years of service, if applicable)
Work-related Cause – Not Qualified to Retire for Service on Date of DeathPaid to Qualified Survivor:

Monthly continuation allowance equal to your compensation on the date of death payable until the date you would have qualified for service retirement with 25 years of service, then the continuation benefit is adjusted to service retirement calculated as if you had continued to work without interruption in the rank held at retirement.
Work-related Cause – No Qualified SurvivorPaid to Designated Beneficiary(ies) or Estate:

Lump-sum benefit equal to your account balance plus 6 months of salary
Non-work-related Cause – Qualified to Retire for Service on Date of DeathPaid to Qualified Survivor:

Monthly continuation allowance equal to 50% of the service retirement payable if you had retired for service on the date of death
Non-work-related Cause – Not Qualified to Retire for Service on Date of DeathPaid to Qualified Survivor:

If you had at least 25 years of credited service but had not attained age 50 on the date of death, a monthly continuation allowance equal to 50% of the service retirement, calculated as if you had retired on the date of death and attained age 50.

If you had at least 10 years but less than 25 years of credited service but had not attained age 50 on the date of death, a monthly continuation allowance equal to the non-job-related disability retirement payable on the date of death
Non-work-related Cause – Differential Continuation BenefitPaid to Non-Qualified Survivor:

If total continuation benefits paid (described above) are less than the lump-sum benefit equal to your account balance plus 6 months of salary, the difference is paid in priority order to remarried spouse/domestic partner, surviving children, or your estate
Non-work-related Cause – Less than 10 years credited service or no Qualified SurvivorPaid to Designated Beneficiary(ies) or Estate:

Lump-sum benefit equal to your account balance plus 6 months of salary

Work-Related Cause

If You Die Due to a Work-Related Cause Before You Retire

Non-Work-Related Cause

If You Die Due to a Non-Work-Related Cause Before You Retire:

grandparents with grandkids and flowers

Qualified Survivor

A continuation allowance is paid to your qualified survivor only for the period that the survivor remains qualified. For an eligible spouse/domestic partner that is until they marry or establish a new domestic partnership, and for an unmarried child under age 18, the earlier of reaching age 18 or marrying.

Who is a Qualified Survivor?

A Qualified Survivor is an Eligible Spouse/Domestic Partner who was your spouse/domestic partner on the date of injury or onset of illness that resulted in death, or was your spouse/domestic partner continuously for at least one full year immediately prior to your death.  

SFERS recognizes domestic partnerships that have been established by filing a Declaration of Domestic Partnership with the San Francisco County Clerk, domestic partnerships registered with the State of California or other California jurisdictions, as well as domestic partnerships or similar legal relationships formed and recognized in other jurisdictions.

SFERS does not recognize domestic partnerships certified only by a notary.

Or

  1. Unmarried child/children under age 18 or;
  2. Dependent child/children of any age or;
  3. Dependent parent(s)

Beneficiary

It’s important to designate a beneficiary for your SFERS benefits and to keep your beneficiary(ies) up to date. To designate a beneficiary, or to update your beneficiary after a life event such as marriage, divorce, or the birth/adoption of a child, log in to mySFERS member portal and add/edit beneficiary(ies) from your Beneficiary Dashboard.

Or, you can download and complete a SFERS Designation of Beneficiary Form and mail your completed form to SFERS or drop it off in our lock box located on the 6th floor of our building. Please have the completed form notarized before submitting it to our office.

What is a Beneficiary?

A person or persons, a trust, or an estate designated to receive a lump sum benefit upon your death.

For a detailed description of survivor benefits, refer to “Death prior to Retirement” in your Summary of Key Plan Provisions.