Retirement Systems

CONTACT INFORMATION: Our office is open 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM M-F/ Closed between 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM M-F / Walk-ins 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM M-F
703-279-8200 TTY 711
12015 Route 50 - Suite 350 - Fairfax, VA 22033
Jeff Weiler
Executive Director

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Beneficiary Information

All three retirement systems have options for spouses and other beneficiaries to receive benefits in the event that you (the member) die before they do. The options are similar but vary depending upon which system you are a member of. The following general information is relevant for all, but the specifics for each system are highlighted in the sections that follow.

 

Be Sure to Keep Your Beneficiary Information Current

It is crucial that you let us know who your beneficiary is, even before you retire. Ultimately you will select any benefit you wish to provide to your surviving spouse or beneficiary when you retire. However, in the unlikely event that you die while still working for the County, your member contributions will be provided to the individual you designate on the beneficiary form.

To make changes to your beneficiary or other demographic information, please submit a Retirement System Change Request form to the Retirement Systems office. Completed forms can be emailed, faxed to 703-653-9543, or sent by mail.

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Death Before Retirement

If you die while still employed and on the active payroll then your contributions will be refunded based on your marital status:

  1. If you are NOT married at the time of your death,or have not designated your spouse as your sole primary beneficiary, your beneficiary(ies) is/are entitled to a refund of all your contributions, including any applicable interest. Refunds are paid from the system within 60-90 days after receipt of your death certificate.
  2. If you ARE married, and still on the active employee payroll when you die, and your spouse is listed as your sole primary beneficiary, your spouse will have the option of receiving a 50% survivor benefit, payable to them for their lifetime. If designated as such, a 50% survivor benefit would be payable to your spouse as long as you were vested at the time of your death. If you are not yet vested or if your spouse chooses to simply request a distribution of your entire account balance instead, that will be their choice.

Death After Retirement

If your death occurs AFTER your retirement, and you have NOT chosen a Joint and Last Survivor benefit for your spouse, any balance in your account that has not been paid to you in retirement benefits, will be refunded to your beneficiary, within 60-90 days after receipt of your death certificate.

Retirement benefits are paid out of your contributions to the Retirement System first. In the event of your death after retirement, if you have not chosen a Survivor benefit, the amount of your accumulated contributions and interest, (reduced by any retirement benefits previously received by you) will be paid by lump sum to your beneficiary(ies).

REMEMBER: A retired member's contribution balance including interest is typically depleted within 1½ - 3 years after retirement so it is possible that there will not be an amount payable to your beneficiary, depending on how many years you have been retired prior to your death.

Employees’ Joint and Last Survivor Option

A retiring member of the Fairfax County Employees’ Retirement System may elect a Joint and Last Survivor Option if he or she retires under normal, early or deferred vested retirement provisions.

If you make this election, you will receive a reduced retirement benefit. However, after your death, your surviving spouse will continue to receive a percentage (50% 662<

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Police Survivor Benefits

In the event that an officer dies before their spouse and/or beneficiaries.do, there are benefits that will be payable to the spouse and/or children. The benefits vary depending upon whether the officer's death is before or after retirement.

Before Retirement

Beneficiary or beneficiaries receive:

Pre-Retirement Benefit Explanation Return of Contributions The officers employee contributions will be paid to their beneficiary unless an automatic benefit is payable to your surviving spouse or children. Note: Your spouse is
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Joint and Last Survivor Options for Uniformed Employees

Retiring members of the Uniformed Retirement System (Normal, Early Service, Deferred Vested, or any type of Disability) may elect a Joint and Last Survivor Option, which entitles the surviving spouse to receive all or a percentage (50%, 66 2/3%, 75% or 100%) of their base retirement benefit (not including the Pre-62 supplement or the Pre-Social Security Benefit) after their death. If the Joint and Last Survivor Option is elected, the retiree's benefit will be reduced. The amount of reduction depends on the difference in age between the retiree and his or her spouse (see chart bel

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