It can be difficult to think about what will happen to your loved ones after you pass away. This section explains what they can expect from your pension. We are here to make sure your wishes are met and we are committed to helping the people in your life get what they need during a difficult time.
If you are a retired LAPP member and your spouse or partner (pension partner) has died or if you are the surviving spouse or partner, beneficiary, or the executor, executrix, or personal representative of a LAPP member's estate, here are some steps you should take:
Survivor Benefits: Joint Lifetime Options
The benefits payable to your surviving spouse or chosen beneficiaries in the event of your death depend on the pension option you chose at retirement. The following pension options would have been available if you had a pension partner when you started your LAPP pension. These options continue to pay for as long as either of you are alive.
If you pass away first, your pension partner will continue to receive a lifetime pension. If both you and your spouse or partner pass away in the first five years of your pension, we will pay the beneficiaries you have chosen until the end of that guarantee period.
Pension Option Name | Survivor Pension Duration | Reduction on Death of Member or Pension Partner | Guaranteed Term Benefit Paid to Chosen Beneficiaries if Both Member and Pension Partner Pass Away |
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Joint Lifetime Guaranteed at Least 5 Years | For surviving pension partner's lifetime | No reduction | 5 years from pension start date |
Joint Lifetime Reduced by 1/3 Guaranteed at Least 5 Years | For surviving pension partner's lifetime | Reduced by 1/3. Pension paid will be 2/3 of the original amount. |
5 years from pension start date
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If you chose to coordinate your pension, an option that was available until December 31, 2020, after you pass away there are some important details you must remember.
What happens if I die with a coordinated pension?
If You Started Your Pension After 2003 | If You Started Your Pension Before 2004 |
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Remember, these changes only refer to your coordination. There can be other decreases if you chose a pension option with a reduced survivor benefit, such as Joint Lifetime Reduced by 1/3. |
Remember, these changes only refer to your coordination. There can be other decreases if you chose a pension option with a reduced survivor benefit, such as Joint Lifetime Reduced by 1/3. |
Survivor Benefits: Single Lifetime Options
The benefits payable to your surviving spouse or chosen beneficiaries in the event of your death depend on the pension option you chose at retirement. The following pension options would have been available if you did not have a pension partner when you started your LAPP pension, or if your pension partner chose to sign a Pension Partner Waiver. They are payable for your lifetime only.
Options with guaranteed terms mean if you pass away before the end of the guarantee period, we will pay the beneficiaries until the end of that guarantee period. Please note if you had a spouse or partner at retirement and:
Pension Option Name | Guaranteed Term benefit Paid to Chosen Beneficiaries on Death of Member |
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Single Lifetime | None |
Single Lifetime Guaranteed At Least 5 Years | 5 years from pension start date |
Single Lifetime Guaranteed At Least 10 Years | 10 years from pension start date |
Single Lifetime Guaranteed At Least 15 Years | 15 years from pension start date |
If you chose to coordinate your pension, an option that was available until December 31, 2020, after you pass away there are some important details you must remember.
What happens if I die with a coordinated pension?
If You Started Your Pension After 2003 | If You Started Your Pension Before 2004 |
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Beneficiary Information
Any death benefits payable to beneficiaries after your death will be made according to the most recent information we have on file. Because of this, it is important to keep your beneficiaries updated at all times.
If you would like to make changes to your beneficiaries, you can do so online by logging in to Your Pension Profile on this website or by using the Designation of Beneficiary(ies) form and sending it to us.
A legal will can also be used to tell us who your beneficiary is, but your will must refer to “LAPP”, “Local Authorities Pension Plan”, or “your employment-based pension plans”.
Beneficiaries have the option of receiving monthly payments until the end of the guaranteed term, or they can receive a lump sum payout of the commuted value of that amount.
Review the beneficiaries you have chosen on your yearly Pensioner Annual Statement or at any time by logging in to Your Pension Profile on this website.