W I D O W S G U I D E
From the Pension Rep.: www.nefl1013.com/
THE BELOW ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN IN 2004 BY
MARIE BRUSCO AND LINDA LACHICK, POLICE PENSION FUND
Few situations in life are more stressful than when a spouse passes. All too often we have a difficult time focusing on the issues at hand and need guidance to get the deceased affairs in order. The following is a general guide for the widow/er regarding important notifications that must be made by the surviving spouse and information you should have on hand when a retiree dies.
Operations Unit 646 610 5580 calling to report the death of a retired police officer and are requesting NYCPD FLAG for casket & Pallbearers for his funeral. IN (all five boroughs, all of Long Island and Upstate New York but NOT beyond Dutchess County.) Can ALSO Request DEPT FLAG for funerals OUTSIDE of above areas. Give FIRST, MIDDLE and LAST NAME, DATE OF DEATH, SOCIAL SECURITY, MEMBERS TAX #, RANK, LAST COMMAND, NEXT of KIN.
Notify the NYC Police Pension Fund either in Writing or by Telephone.
The address is 233 Broadway, 19th Floor New York, New York 10279 Attention: Retiree Death Benefits Unit Telephone (212) 693- 5607 / 5919 (for members appointed after June 30, 1940 and for members who merged from Transit/Housing as of May 1995).
• You will have to PROVIDE the deceased First, Middle and Last name, the date of death, SOCial SECurity number, next of kin as well as the executor/trix of the estate and his/her address and phone number.
• To COMPLETE complete our records you will need a COPY of the Will, a copy of the paid Funeral bill, the Original or Certified COPY of the Death certificate and a certified copy of your MARRIAGE certificate as well as YOUR SOCial Security number.
These documents are necessary for any benefits that might be due you as per the member chosen options.
• Contact the appropriate UNION for a possible existing LIFE insurance policy and also for Continuation of 4 optional benefits, if qualified.
Police Officers-Patrolmen's Benevolent Association (P.B.A) (212) 233-5531
Detectives-Detectives’ Endowment Association (D.E.A.) (212) 587-9120
Sergeants- Sergeant’s Benevolent Association (S.B.A.) (212) 431-6555
Lieutenants and above-Superior Officers Council (S.O.C) (212) 964-7500
• Contact the NYC HEALTH Benefits Program for Special Continuation of Coverage Application (Coverage for LIFE) located at ( N E W ) 22 Cortlandt St. 12th Floor, New York, NY 10007: NEW (212) 306-7200 (Gen Info)
There are no words of comfort at such a difficult time, however if you have all the necessary information at the ready it will expedite any claim that is pending, make the process run smoothly and your stress level can be minimized.
Thanks MARIE and LINDA
Eddie Woods
NE, FL 10-13
DO YOUR WIFE/FAMILY A GREAT SERVICE BY FILLING OUT THIS FORM.
I Know this form will alleviate your spouses concern. You have no idea of the stress level the family is under. Sincerely, Pension rep www.nefl1013.com/
WORK SHEET for DECEASED MOS
FIRST NAME________________ MI____ LAST ________________________
SPOUSE NAME__________ Address _________________City___________St___ Zip
Pension # Starts w/ Cap P___________top right side Electronic Quarterly Statement
SS # ________ ____ ______ RANK ________ Last Command ______________
HOME PHONE _________________ CELL________________ EMAIL ______________
NE 10-13 FIRST ( 4 ) STEPS TO BE TAKEN AFTER DEATH NOTIFICATIONS
1 ) Operations Unit 646 610 5580 calling to report the death of a retired police officer and are requesting NYCPD FLAG for casket & Pallbearers for his funeral. IN (all five boroughs, all of Long Island and Upstate New York but NOT beyond Dutchess County.) Can ALSO Request DEPT FLAG for funerals OUTSIDE of above areas. Give FIRST, MIDDLE and LAST NAME, DATE OF DEATH, SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER RANK, LAST COMMAND, NEXT of KIN,
2 ) NYC Police Pension Fund (P P F) either in writing OR or by telephone. This Number is Just For Death Benefits 212) 693-6887. 233 Broadway, 25th Floor New York, N Y 10279
Attn: Retiree Death Benefits
3 ) Contact the appropriate UNION for a possible existing LIFE insurance policy and also for Continuation of Optional benefits, Any Questions about the Fund provided or your right to benefits under a particular Fund, contact Fund Administrator at the Fund address shown below:
PBA (212) 233-5531 John.Hucke@NYPD.org FUNDS OFFICE: 212 349 7560
Detectives’ Endowment Association (D.E.A.) (212) 587-9120
Sergeant’s Benevolent Association (S.B.A.) (212) 431-6555 FAX (212) 431-6487
Lieutenants and above-Superior Officers Council (S.O.C) (212) 964-7500
4 ) Contact the NYC Health Benefits Program for Special Continuation of Coverage Application (coverage for life) located at 22 Cortlandt St, 12th floor. Att Linda Harris
New York, NY 10007 FAX, 212 306 7756, When Writing; Send Certified W/ Return Receipt
SS # on top of every pg.
You will have to provide the Deceased First, Middle and Last name, the date of death, social security number, next of kin as well as the executor/trix of the estate and his/her address and phone number.
To complete our records you will need a COPY of the will, a copy of the paid funeral bill, the original or certified copy of the Death certificate and Marriage certificate as well as ( SPOUSE Social Security #. These documents are necessary for any benefits that might be due you as per the member chosen options.
Att Linda Harris
They will send the surviving spouse a pre-numbered application allowing the spouse to continue the health coverage that the member had at a cost equal to 102% of what the City pays, which includes admin fees.
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GENERAL GUIDE FOR THE WIDOW/er OF A RETIRED MOS CLICK > https://www.nefl1013.com/GEN-GUIDE
Feel free to contact me C 407 417 7779 Pension rep www.nefl1013.com/
Notify the Veterans Administration 1-800 827-1000, (Usually Funeral Director will do this for you also Church or Temple for announcements and to arrange for funeral).
DISCHARGE PAPERS: DD 214 - Original needed for BURIAL IN NATIONAL CEMETARY,
Grave marker, Funeral Allowance, Flag or Social Security, if spouse was not already receiving benefits. Service time counts toward qualification. They will Photostat 1 for Veterans Administration & Social Security. if a veteran. and CAN’T find discharge or DD 214
THINGS YOU WILL NEED
DEATH CERTIFICATES: Death Certificates are necessary in every step to the successful administration of a decedent's estate. (Usually Funeral Director will obtain certificates as part of his service at current cost).
Veterans Administration (if a veteran) www.va.gov
NYCPPF (Pension Bureau) http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycppf/html/home/home.shtml
Motor Vehicle Bureau (if auto was in deceased's name ONLY). 1 for each insurance policy
Probate Court (If probate is needed)
Your State Department of Revenue to obtain non-tax certificate (if real property is involved).
Bank accounts held in Trust for another (1 for each account if property held in a Trust)
Note: If estate is probated, some of the above will take a Letter Testamentary instead of a Death Certificate.
MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES WITH OFFICIAL RAISED SEAL:
Social Security, (not necessary if surviving spouse already receiving benefits) www.ssa.gov
Veterans Administration (if a veteran). www.va.gov
Motor Vehicle Bureau if auto is in the deceased's name ONLY.
One for each bank account, brokerage house account, share of stock or bonds, etc. that were in the deceased's name ALONE .
THINGS THAT MAY APPLY
Cancel the lease. If your parent or loved one rented a home, cancel the lease after clearing out the furnishings.
Inform insurance companies. File life insurance claims for any policies on the person's life, and request that the insurers send you Form 712, Life Insurance Statement (a statement about the life insurance that must be filed with the estate tax return).
Make sure the car insurance company continues to cover the person's car until it's sold or transferred to a beneficiary.
Make sure the homeowners policy continues to provide adequate coverage for the person's things until removed from the home.
Notify companies the person did business with.
Cancel credit cards, and close charge accounts.
Tell airlines to transfer frequent-flier miles (in attendance with the will to the primary beneficiary).
Gather assets. This doesn't mean piling them all together. It means getting a list of all the assets at the time of the decedent's death, along with copies of statements, deeds, etc. This information is needed for probate. It's also essential for filing federal and state estate tax returns, if required.
Review IRAs. If the surviving spouse is the beneficiary, decide whether to roll an IRA over to the surviving spouse. Get good advice—and get it now. The money you pay to attorneys and other advisers to resolve issues up front can be much lower than if you deal with problems after a person's death.
In case of couples, usually most of the property is held in joint names and the survivor obtains same "by operation of law". However, there may be some items which were held in the name of the deceased ONLY, and in that case it would be necessary to go to Probate Court to transfer ownership of that property, unless listed in a trust.
Consideration should also be given to making pre-death funeral arrangements. This provision, no matter how painful, should be discussed by couples and by parents with their families. Too often, spouse and children spend much too much money on a funeral and do so without really knowing what were the deceased's wishes in this regard (Place of burial, Cremation, etc.) Consideration should also be given to having a "Family Durable Power of Attorney" (Someone to take over your finances if you become incapacitated or incompetent)
There are no words of comfort at such a difficult time, however if you have all the necessary information at the ready it will expedite any claim that is pending, make the process run smoothly and your stress level can be minimized.
Regards,
Pension rep www.nefl1013.com/
