LEOFF 1 Survivor Benefits

This is 2020 and it has happened again. Another LEOFF 1 couple with the spouse not signed up as a surviving beneficiary.

This LEOFF 1 member had been married, but divorced. After he divorced, he retired in 1977. He married his current wife in 1980. At that time, he told her that he didn’t think he could have her as a surviving beneficiary. So he did nothing.

You’ll recall that over the years, there have been at least two open windows, where LEOFF 1 members could sign up new surviving beneficiary. These open windows were well publicized in our Hot Sheet or Clipboard. But apparently, some people never got the word.

I think that it is our personal responsibility to look out for our LEOFF 1 members, both Fire and Law Enforcement, especially those that you know who don’t have the internet or email. Talk to them and make sure that their spouse is signed up as surviving beneficiary. They may have never contacted DRS (Dept of Retirement Systems). They may not even know where their retirement check comes from. They may not have even considered what happens to the spouse after the member dies.

Recently, the LEOFF 1 Coalition received the names of all LEOFF 1 members from DRS.(Unfortunately no addresses) Of all of the LEOFF 1 members, there are about 3000 members that the LEOFF 1 Coalition does not have an address for. The LEOFF 1 Coalition is concerned with LEOFF 1 members and maintaining the benefits that we currently have.

PLEASE HELP OUR BROTHERS. If you can, get their name, address, phone and email address if they have one and send it to me. We need to keep those 3,000 members on a mailing list, so that they can keep informed about LEOFF 1.

Don McCabe
don.mccabe41@gmail.com

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