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4.11 1959 Survivors’ Benefits  –  Fifth Level

  1. Employees in this unit who are members of the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) will be covered under the Fifth Level of the 1959 Survivors’ Benefit, which provides a death benefit in the form of a monthly allowance to the eligible survivor in the event of death before retirement.  This benefit will be payable to eligible survivors of current employees who are not covered by Social Security and whose death occurs on or after the effective date of the Memorandum of Understanding for this section.
  2. As stated in Government Code Section 21581(c), the contribution for employees covered under the fifth level of benefits is two dollars ($2) per month as long as the combined employee and employer cost for this program is $4 per month or less per covered member.  If the total cost of this program exceeds $4 per month per member, the employee and employer shall share equally the cost of the program.  The rate of contribution for the State will be determined by the PERS board.
  3. The survivors’ benefits are detailed in the following schedule:
    1. A spouse who has care of two or more eligible children, or three or more eligible children not in the care of spouse — $1,800
    2. A spouse with one eligible child, or two eligible children not in the care of the spouse — $1,500
    3. One eligible child not in the care of the spouse; or the spouse, who had no eligible children at the time of the employee’s death, upon reaching age 62 —  $750.