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Family Benefits

Prince George’s County Survivor Benefits

Survivor BenefitsUpdated July 2013

ONE-TIME DEATH BENEFIT

Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department

Career Members

Contact:
Prince George’s County Government
Attn: Tracy Chapman, IPMA-CP
Office of Human Resources Management
Benefits Administration Division
1400 McCormick Drive, Suite 110
WLargo, Maryland 20774
Phone: (301) 883-6167
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.princegeorgescountymd.gov

Effective July 1, 2008, the Prince George’s County Fire Service Pension plan was amended by adding a “Line of Duty Death” to plan benefits. The benefit is payable to the surviving spouse of a plan participant who dies in the line of duty.

NOTE: Former spouses, regardless of any other court ordered compensation, are not eligible for this benefit. If there is no surviving spouse, there is no death benefit.

Definition of a Death in the Line of Duty
Death in the line of duty means a death that occurs as a result of and arising out of or in the course of the actual perfromance of duty for Prince George’s County, Maryland. A death shall not be considered to be a line of duty death if:

  1. The death was caused by the intentional misconduct of the decedent or by such decedent’s intention to bring about such decedent’s death;
  2. The decedent was voluntarily intoxicated, as defined in section 1204 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act, at the time of death;
  3. The decedent was performing such duties in a grossly negligent manner at the time of death; OR
  4. The payment is to an individual whose actions were a substantial contributing factor to the death of the decedent. An eligibility determination at the time of death of a participant for the benefits payable as a result of a death in the line of duty shall be made by the Administrative Review Board.

Volunteer Fire and Rescue Members
There is a one time $5,000 death benefit payable by the county to the survivors of volunteer members who suffer a death in the line of duty.

Benefits may also be available from the county Volunteer Length of Service Award Program (LOSAP).


RETIREMENT/PENSION PLAN

Contact:
Prince George’s County Government
Attn: Tracy Chapman, IPMA-CP
Office of Human Resources Management
Benefits Administration Division
1400 McCormick Drive, Suite 110
Largo, Maryland 20774
Phone: (301) 883-6167
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.princegeorgescountymd.gov

The surviving spouse of a participant who dies while an employee and whose death is a death in the line of duty shall receive a monthly benefit for the spouse’s life in an amount equal to the benefit the decedent would have received if the decedent had terminated employment on the day before the date of death with exactly twenty years of actual service and elected a reduced benefit for his/her life and a 100% contingent annuitant benefit with the decedent’s surviving spouse named to receive the benefit. The spouse’s benefit shall be payable as of the first day of the month following the employee’s death. A surviving spouse eligible to receive the pre-retirement contingent annuitant benefit described above shall not be paid that benefit if he or she receives this 100% contingent annuitant benefit for a death in the line of duty.


RETIREMENT/PENSION PLAN

Contact:
Prince George’s County Government
Attn: Tracy Chapman, IPMA-CP
Office of Human Resources Management
Benefits Administration Division
1400 McCormick Drive, Suite 110
Largo, Maryland 20774
Phone: (301) 883-6167
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.princegeorgescountymd.gov

The surviving spouse of a participant who dies while an employee and whose death is a death in the line of duty shall receive a monthly benefit for the spouse’s life in an amount equal to the benefit the decedent would have received if the decedent had terminated employment on the day before the date of death with exactly twenty years of actual service and elected a reduced benefit for his/her life and a 100% contingent annuitant benefit with the decedent’s surviving spouse named to receive the benefit. The spouse’s benefit shall be payable as of the first day of the month following the employee’s death. A surviving spouse eligible to receive the pre-retirement contingent annuitant benefit described above shall not be paid that benefit if he or she receives this 100% contingent annuitant benefit for a death in the line of duty.


REAL ESTATE TAX CREDIT

Contact:
Prince George’s County Office of Finance
Treasury Division
14741 Governor Oden Bowie Dr.
Suite 3200
Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
Phone: (301) 952-4030

As authorized by Section 9-210 of the tax-property article of the annotated code of Maryland, Prince George’s County officers a tax credit to the surviving spouse of a fallen law enforcement or rescue worker.

Requirements:The dwelling must have been owned by the fallen officer or rescue worker at the time of the line of duty death and the surviving spouse must currently occupy the dwelling at the time of application.

Application: Annual application and proof of claim must be filed with the Director of Finance by April 1 prior to the tax year for which the credit is being requested.

Contact the Treasury Division for further information or clarification of rules and procedures.


LIFE INSURANCE PROGRAMS

Contact:
Prince George’s County Government
Attn: Tracy Chapman, IPMA-CP
Office of Human Resources Management
Benefits Administration Division
1400 McCormick Drive, Suite 110
Largo, Maryland 20774
Phone: (301) 883-6167
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.princegeorgescountymd.gov

All permanent full time and part-time employees are provided basic life insurance in the amount of twice their annual salary rounded to the nearest thousand. The maximum amount of basic life insurance ranges from $100,000 to $200,000 and the allowable maximum is outlined in the employee’s salary schedule or collective bargaining agreement.

Supplemental insurance is also provided to Police Officers, Firefighters, Paramedics, Emergency Response Technicians and Deputy Sheriffs. This insurance is equal to 50 times the monthly salary at no cost. A maximum of $300,000 is set for both basic and supplemental life insurance combined.

An accidental death and dismemberment benefit is available to employees at no cost. The amount for Firefighters, Paramedics and Emergency Response Technicians is $50,000. The benefit available under this coverage is payable in the event of death or personal loss of an employee caused by an accident on or off of the job.

Employees may purchase between one and four times their base pay in extra life insurance (XLI) up to a maximum of $600,000. Premiums for the XLI are based on the employee’s age and salary. Evidence of insurability is required for XLI amounts over $300,000 and for certain enrollment periods.


NON-PROFIT OR PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS

Contact:
HEROES, Inc.
1100 G Street, NW Suite 300
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 638-6658
Website: www.heroes-inc.org

Serves families in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. Offers $5,000 for immediate expenses; $6,000 for funeral expenses. Further assistance provided shortly after death, including professional counseling. Also provides college scholarship including room and board, tuition, books and associated fees for children and spouses in Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties. Renewable for a total of four years of undergraduate education.


Disclaimer: The material contained in the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Survivor Benefits website is not the result of legal research, but rather is based on a scan of public documents. We have made every effort to be accurate and timely, but errors may exist. The material on this website is advisory only and should not be cited as evidence or proof that a benefit exists or that our facts are accurate. Always consult the decedent’s fire department for benefits assistance, or a benefits’ attorney. If, in the course of your own research, you see errors of fact, or new benefit information, please pass this information along to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.