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STATE REGISTERED DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP & SBCERS PENSION BENEFITS
Did you know SBCERS pension benefits may extend to State Registered Domestic Partners, but not to local, County Registered Domestic Partnership? While local registration may provide health insurance dependent eligibility or other benefits, only State Registration is recognized in California retirement law provisions.
When a member retires from SBCERS, one of the important decisions they make is the election of their pension benefit payment option, electing either an unmodified or a modified benefit amount. A big part of that decision is whether a member has a qualified beneficiary to whom they may leave a continuance benefit when they pass away. Since that option cannot be altered after a retiree’s pension benefits have been initiated, it’s important to consider the options carefully.
Under most benefit payment options your surviving spouse, State Registered domestic partner, or dependent child is eligible for a continuance of your retirement benefit. To be eligible for a continuance, that qualified beneficiary must have been married to you for at least one year before your retirement date and must have been designated as beneficiary. A surviving spouse or State Registered domestic partner who was not married to you before your retirement is eligible for continuing benefits if, on the date of your death, they:
- Were designated in writing as a beneficiary,
- Were married or registered to you for two years or more, and
- Have attained age 55.
It’s also important to note that, under California law, retirement benefits accrued during a marriage or State Registered domestic partnership are considered community property. The division of this property as the result of a dissolution of marriage or State Registered domestic partnership must conform to the County Employees Retirement Law and be agreed to by the Retirement System, whether that event occurs before or after retirement.
Even if your retirement date may be years away, or your retirement was many years ago, it’s very important to make sure that your beneficiary designation with SBCERS is up-to-date. This cannot be processed through County Human Resources, you must contact SBCERS directly to change your beneficiary.
SBCERS stands ready to assist you in keeping your account updated and we are here to answer any questions you may have. Please reach out to the Member Services team at 1-877-568-2940 or benefits@sbcers.org.
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