Deciding when to retire isn’t simple. There are lots of decisions and choices on the road to retirement, but for many, the most difficult choice is whether to select Single Life coverage or provide Survivor Benefits to a spouse or domestic partner. If you opt to provide survivor benefits, you must determine what percentage of your retirement benefit your survivor will receive. The more money you allocate for your survivor, the less money you receive while you’re alive. 

Your four pension benefit options are:

Option 1: Single Life

This option pays the highest monthly amount of the four choices, but it is for your lifetime only. No one will receive an ongoing benefit after you die. If you die before the benefit you have received equals your contributions plus interest (as of the date of your retirement), the difference will be paid in a lump sum to your designated beneficiary.

Option 2: Joint and 100% survivor

Your monthly benefit under this option is less than the Single Life Option. But after your death, your survivor will receive the same benefit you were receiving for their lifetime.

Option 3: Joint and 50% survivor

This option applies a smaller reduction to your monthly benefit than Option 2. After your death, your survivor will receive half the benefit you were receiving for their lifetime.

Option 4: Joint and 66.67% survivor

This option applies a smaller reduction to your benefit than Option 2 and a larger reduction than 

Option 3. After your death, your survivor will receive 66.67% (or roughly two-thirds) of the benefit you were receiving for their lifetime.

We strongly recommend spending time on the Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) website, where you can learn more about your retirement benefits, deciding which benefit payout option is right for you, and much, much more.

The DRS site has a section dedicated to LEOFF Plan 2. It includes helpful videos, access to live webinars and retirement planning seminars, and a benefit estimator.

Pension Protection Act of 2006

When you fill out your DRS retirement application, you will be asked if you are a Public Service Member. Answer “Yes.”

Checking “Yes” allows you, as a Public Service Member, to exclude up to $3,000 of your qualified healthcare, AD&D, and Long Term Care insurance premiums from your federal taxable income each year—provided that the premiums for your coverage are deducted from your DRS retirement benefit.

If you choose “No” on your original application, you will not be able to go back and change it later.