CalPERS explains emergency retirement option and how families should report a member’s death

Presenter, California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS), said family members should notify CalPERS online or by phone when a member dies and that CalPERS will provide publication 55 and an online application link after a report is received.

The presentation said the preferred reporting method is online, but families may call CalPERS or notify the employer. "We'll request the name and CalPERS ID or Social Security number of the deceased and the date of death," the presenter said.

Why this matters: reporting starts the process that determines which lump-sum or monthly survivor benefits are payable. CalPERS said it cannot say which benefits will be paid until it receives all required documentation and completes its review.

CalPERS listed the documents most commonly needed and the processing timeline. The presenter said a photocopy of the death certificate showing cause of death is required; additional documents could include a marriage certificate or a child’s birth certificate. "A complete list of documents possibly required will be in the preretirement survivor benefits publication," the presenter said. CalPERS said it typically takes about 40 to 60 days to process and release benefits after receiving all required documentation.

The presenter also described the emergency retirement process for members who may die before the normal processing period completes. The presentation said the normal processing timeframe is typically "90 to a hundred and 20 days," and that emergency retirement is available when a member faces a potential death that could prevent surviving family members from receiving an optimal benefit if the standard process were used. The presenter said emergency retirement applications must be received before the member dies and may be filed as service retirement, disability, or industrial disability.

CalPERS explained who may sign emergency applications: the member, a conservator, or an attorney in fact who has the specific rights to choose retirement options and beneficiaries. The presenter advised having a power of attorney on file and noted CalPERS’s special power of attorney form (Pub 30) for CalPERS business. "When submitting the application, emergency must be written at the top," the presenter said.

Ending: CalPERS urged members and families who may need an emergency retirement to contact the CalPERS call center or a regional office as soon as possible and offered in‑person or virtual counseling when necessary. Contact information given in the presentation included the CalPERS customer call center at (888) 225-7377 and the myCalPERS online account for messages and appointments.