If a MEPP member has passed away, it is important to contact Member Services as soon as possible.
If you should pass away after you begin collecting your pension, MEPP will pay a benefit to either your pension partner or your beneficiaries depending on the pension options you have chosen.
The benefits payable to the member, surviving spouse or partner, or chosen beneficiaries in the event of a death depend on the pension option selected at retirement.
If you had a pension partner at the time of retirement, you would have chosen one of the Joint Lifetime pension options unless your pension partner chose to complete a Pension Partner Waiver, giving up the right to a survivor pension. A Joint Lifetime pension means that, if you passed away first, your pension partner would continue to receive a lifetime pension.
| Pension Option | Survivor Pension Duration | Reduction at Death | Benefit to Beneficiary(ies) or Estate Paid for the Remainder of the Guaranteed Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joint Lifetime with Reduced Survivor Benefit | Paid for lifetime | For service after 1991, the pension partner benefit is 66 2/3% of your pension. For service before 1992, the pension partner benefit is 75% of your pension. | None |
| Joint Lifetime with Reduced Survivor Benefit Guaranteed at least 10 Years | Paid for lifetime | For service earned after 1991, the pension partner benefit is 66 2/3% of your pension. For service earned before 1992, the pension partner benefit is 75% of your pension. | Benefit is paid to beneficiary(ies) for remainder of guaranteed term if both member and pension partner pass away within 10 years from pension start date. |
| Joint Lifetime Guaranteed at least 10 Years | Paid for lifetime | No reduction. | Benefit is paid to beneficiary(ies) for remainder of guaranteed term if both member and pension partner pass away within 10 years from pension start date. |
| Joint Lifetime Reduced by 1/3 Guaranteed at Least 10 Years | Paid for lifetime | No reduction until end of guaranteed term, then reduced by 1/3. Pension paid to the survivor will be 2/3 of the original amount. | Benefit is paid to beneficiary(ies) for remainder of guaranteed term if both member and pension partner pass away within 10 years from pension start date. |
If you did not have a pension partner at the time of retirement, or if your pension partner chose to complete a Pension Partner Waiver, you would have chosen one of the Single Lifetime pension options. The Single Lifetime pension options are payable for the member's lifetime only.
The guaranteed term means if the member passes away before the end of the guaranteed term, the pension will pay the named beneficiaries or estate until the end of the guaranteed term.
| Pension Option | Benefit Paid to Beneficiary(ies) |
|---|---|
| Single Lifetime Guaranteed At Least 5 Years | Guaranteed term benefit paid if member passes away within 5 years of pension start date |
| Single Lifetime Guaranteed At Least 10 Years | Guaranteed term benefit paid if member passes away within 10 years of pension start date |
| Single Lifetime Guaranteed At Least 15 Years | Guaranteed term benefit paid if member passes away within 15 years of pension start date |
If you chose the coordination option, there may be changes that occur to your pension after you pass away. The changes listed below only refer to the coordination amount. There can be other decreases to the pension if you chose an option with a reduced survivor benefit.
Historically, MEPP had one Single Lifetime guaranteed term pension option and five Joint Lifetime pension options.
Please note: these options are no longer available to members when selecting their pension options.
Historical Pension Options
A Single Lifetime pension (with no guaranteed term) is payable for your lifetime. No payments are paid to a beneficiary(ies) after your death.
| Joint Lifetime Pension Option | Survivor Pension Duration | Reduction at Death | Benefit to Beneficiary(ies) or Estate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joint Lifetime with Reduced Survivor Benefit Guaranteed At Least 5 Years (Normal pension – Guaranteed 5 year term) | Paid for lifetime | For service earned after 1991, the pension partner benefit is 66 2/3% of your pension. For service earned before 1992, the pension partner benefit is 75% of your pension. | If you and your pension partner pass away within 5 years from the date your pension begins, a benefit is paid to your designated beneficiary(ies) for the remainder of the 5 year period. |
| Joint Lifetime (Joint Life not reduced no guarantee) | Paid for lifetime | None | None |
| Joint Lifetime Guaranteed at least 5 years (Joint Life not reduced with guaranteed 5 year term) | Paid for lifetime | None | If you and your pension partner pass away within 5 years from the date your pension begins, a benefit is paid to your designated beneficiary(ies) for the remainder of the 5 year period. |
| Joint Lifetime Reduced by 1/3 Guaranteed At Least 5 Years (Joint Life reduced by 1/3 with guaranteed 5-year term) | Paid for lifetime | At the first death of either you or your pension partner, the monthly payment is reduced by 1/3. This reduced pension will continue to be paid to the survivor for his or her life. This means that if your pension partner dies before you, your pension will be reduced to 2/3 of the pension amount. | If you and your pension partner pass away within 5 years from the date your pension begins, a benefit is paid to your designated beneficiary(ies) for the remainder of the 5 year period. |
| Joint Lifetime Reduced by 1/2 (Joint Life reduced by 1/2 no guarantee) | Paid for lifetime | At the first death of either you or your pension partner, the monthly payment is reduced by 1/2. This reduced pension will continue to be paid to the survivor for his or her life. This means that if your pension partner dies before you, your pension will be reduced to 1/2 of the pension amount. | None |
Any death benefits payable to beneficiaries after your death will be made according to the most recent information. It is important to keep your information and your beneficiary information current at all times. Review your beneficiary information on your annual Pension Highlights online by logging in to Your Pension Profile.
If you would like to make changes to your beneficiaries, you can do so online in Your Pension Profile or by completing and mailing in the Designation of Beneficiary(ies) form.