Receiving Your Benefit

At retirement, you must decide how you want your retirement benefit paid. You can choose from several options, all of which will provide you with a monthly benefit for life. For example, you may elect the Single Life Allowance, which provides the maximum amount payable during your lifetime, with nothing payable to a beneficiary upon your death. Or, you may elect to receive a smaller monthly benefit to provide for a possible payment to a designated beneficiary after your death.

Filing Your Option Election

You must file your Option Election form (unless notified otherwise, as in the case of disability retirement) before the first day of the month following your retirement date. You have up to 30 days after your pension benefit becomes payable to change your selection. If you are a disability retiree, you may change your option selection up to 30 days after your disability application is approved, or up to 30 days after your retirement date, whichever is later.

You can select your payment option when you use Retirement Online to apply for a service (not disability) retirement. You can also print an option election form from our Forms page and submit it by mail.

If your election is not timely, by law, we must process your retirement as if you had selected Cash Refund — Contributions (Option ½), with your estate named as beneficiary.