The amount of your monthly pension benefit payment could change for a variety of reasons such as:

• A request from you to change the amount of state or federal taxes being withheld
• Changes in medical or life insurance premiums
• Cost of living adjustments (COLAs)
• The temporary benefit ending
• A change in your marital status

We will notify you whenever the amount of your benefit payment changes.

Divorce in Retirement

As of January 1, 2021, if you get divorced after retirement, you may utilize the Joint & Survivor Divorce Pop-Up option* to remove your ex-spouse as a survivor beneficiary on your MOSERS pension benefits and receive an adjusted annuity amount.

To do so, your ex-spouse must consent, and you must obtain a divorce decree or amended divorce decree from a court of competent jurisdiction, which states:

• You, the member, retain sole possession of your MOSERS pension benefits (it either terminates or does not include any division of benefits order) and
• Your ex-spouse is removed as the beneficiary entitled to survivor benefits based on your retirement election of a joint & survivor benefit payment option.

You must provide MOSERS with a certified copy of your divorce decree/amended divorce decree to adjust your benefits.

See the Divorce & Your Pension Benefit brochure or contact us for more information

*The Joint & Survivor Divorce Pop-Up option is not available to members of the Judicial Plan or Judicial Plan 2011.

Marriage in Retirement

If you were not married at the time of your retirement and you elected the Life Income Annuity benefit payment option, but later marry during retirement, you may elect a survivor benefit for your new spouse.

If you were married at retirement and elected a joint & survivor option, then your spouse passes away and you remarry, you may elect a survivor benefit for your new spouse.

You have one year from your date of marriage to elect a survivor benefit for your new spouse.

If you are unsure which benefit payment option you elected, you can find it on your Annual Benefit Statement, by logging in to myMOSERS (go to Personal Information, then Benefit Information), or by contacting a MOSERS benefit counselor.

Temporary Benefit

If you receive the temporary benefit, it will end when you reach the age of 62, regardless of when you apply for Social Security benefits. You will receive your final temporary benefit payment at the end of the month in which you turn age 62.

Taxes

Your pension benefit is subject to federal income tax and may be subject to state income tax. You may change the amount of your tax withholdings at any time. Log in to myMOSERS to complete the Tax Withholding Authorization and IRS W-4P forms.

Premiums

You may have premiums for MOSERS optional life insurance and Missouri Consolidated Health Care Plan medical, dental, and vision insurance withheld from your monthly benefit payment. If those premium amounts change, it will affect the amount of your monthly benefit payment.

COLAs

MOSERS provides annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) to retired members (general state employees and judges) and their surviving beneficiaries. You will receive your COLA in the same month each year. See the COLA page on our website for more information.