DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA JUDGES' 

RETIREMENT PLAN 

Summary Plan Description 2019 

THE DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 

1789 
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District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

Summary Plan Description 

2019 

This booklet is a Summary Plan Description (SPD) of the benefts provided 

to you under the District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan (Plan) and 

relevant procedural information. The full text of the Plan is contained in Title11 

(section 11-1561 et seq.) of the District of Columbia Offcial Code (D.C. Code). 

The U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury Department) has also issued 

regulations pertaining to this Plan in the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) 

at 31 C.F.R. Part 29. If there are any conficts between the information in this 

booklet and the D.C. Code or the C.F.R., the Plan’s underlying statutes will 

always govern. This booklet replaces all previously provided summaries of 

your plan benefts. 
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District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

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District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

Table of Contents 

Fast Facts About Your Retirement Plan ....................................... 5 

How the Retirement Plan Works ................................................. 7 

Plan Participation .............................................................7 

Your Retirement Plan At-A-Glance................................................7 

Your Contributions ............................................................8 

How Benefts are Paid.................................................................8 

When You Are Eligible to Receive Benefts ................................... 10 

Regular Retirement Beneft ..................................................10 

Eligibility for Executive Offcers of the District of Columbia Courts................. 10 

Early Retirement Beneft ..................................................... 10 

Deferred Retirement Beneft .................................................. 11 

Disability Retirement Beneft .................................................11 

Voluntary Retirement Due to Disability ........................................11 

Involuntary Disability Retirement ............................................11 

Maximum Retirement Beneft...................................................12 

Life Events .............................................................. 13 

If You Marry ................................................................13 

If You Divorce ...............................................................13

 Qualifed Domestic Relations Order (QDRO)...................................13 

If You Become Disabled ...................................................... 14 

If You Have a Break in Service..................................................15

 Receiving a Refund of Contributions .........................................15 

Rollover................................................................15 

If You Work as a Senior Judge After Retirement ....................................15 

If You Leave Work ...........................................................16 

When You Die or After Death ...................................................16 

Survivor Benefts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 

Eligibility ...................................................................17 

Paying for the Survivor Beneft..................................................18 

Lump Sum Credit for Survivor Benefts ...........................................18

 If Your Spouse Dies.......................................................19 

If You Have Not Elected the Survivor Beneft ......................................20 

If Your Benefts Terminate .....................................................20 

How Your Retirement Beneft is Calculated ................................... 21 

Your Total Service............................................................21 

Judicial Service .............................................................21 

Credited Service ............................................................22 
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District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

 If You Accrued Retirement Benefts Through Another Retirement System ............22

 Civilian Service Credit Transfer...........................................22

 If You Received a Lump Sum Payout of Retirement Contributions ..................23

 Civilian Service Credit Purchase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

 Paying Interest on Civilian Service Credit Purchase .............................24

 Military Service Credit.....................................................24

 Participation in Other Retirement Plans .......................................24 

Calculating the Regular Retirement Beneft .......................................25 

Calculating the Early Retirement Beneft..........................................26 

Calculating the Deferred Retirement Beneft.......................................27 

Calculating the Disability Retirement Beneft ......................................27 

Calculating the Involuntary Disability Beneft ......................................27 

Calculating the Survivor Beneft.................................................28 

Cost of Living Adjustments ....................................................30 

Applying for a Retirement Beneft........................................... 31 

Timetable to Apply for Benefts ...................................................31 

Filing Your Application ........................................................31

 If Your Application is Denied ...............................................32

 Judicial Review ..........................................................32 

Continuing Your Health and Life Insurance Benefts.................................33 

Receiving Your Beneft........................................................33 

Receiving a Retirement or Survivor Beneft Involving a Qualifed Domestic Relations Order .34 

Retirement Beneft........................................................34

 Survivor Beneft ..........................................................34 

Refunds ...................................................................34 

Rollovers...................................................................34 

Frequently Asked Questions............................................... 35 

Frequently Asked Questions for Survivors.........................................38 

Contact Information ...................................................... 39 

Glossary of Terms........................................................ 42 
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District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

 

 

Fast Facts About 

Your Retirement Plan 

The amount of your retirement beneft is based on: 

• your fnal basic salary, which is the salary you receive as a judge 

immediately before you retire; and 

• the years of total service you have accumulated. (See page 21.) 

Each year you contribute 3.5% of your basic salary to the retirement plan. 

Your contribution is automatically deducted from your pay. (See page 8.) 

If you leave the District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan before you are 

eligible to retire, you may apply for a lump sum refund of the contributions 

you have made, or you may elect to receive a deferred retirement beneft. 

(See page 11.) 

You are eligible to retire with a regular retirement beneft: 

• anytime after reaching age 50 if you have at least 20 years of judicial 

service; 

• when you reach age 60 if you have at least 10 years of judicial 

service; or 

• when you reach the mandatory retirement age of 74 regardless of 

how many years of judicial service you have. (See page 10.) 

If you have between 10 and 19 years of judicial service, you may be eligible 

to retire between ages 55 and 60 and receive an early retirement beneft. Note 

that benefts are reduced under the early retirement beneft. (See page 10.) 

If you become disabled and you have fve or more years of service, you 

may be eligible for a disability retirement beneft. If you retire involuntarily 

because of a disability, you are eligible for a retirement beneft regardless 

of your years of service. For more information on involuntary disability 

retirement. (See page 11.) 
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District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

You may elect an optional survivor beneft, which is a monthly beneft to be 

paid after your death to your spouse and/or eligible child(ren). You must 

elect a survivor beneft within six months from the date you marry or within six 

months after you take offce or you are reappointed or recommissioned. 

(See page 17.) 

To elect the survivor beneft, you must contribute an additional 3.5% of your 

basic salary while you are working and 3.5% of your retirement benefts after 

you retire. (See page 8.) 

If you elect the survivor beneft after you start your judicial service or after 

you retire, you must also contribute an additional 3.5% of the basic salary 

you earned plus interest and if applicable, 3.5% of retirement benefts you 

received plus interest, back to the starting date of your judicial service. If you 

purchase creditable civilian service, you must also contribute an additional 

3.5% of the basic salary you earned in civilian service, plus interest. If you do 

not make such contributions, your survivor’s beneft will be reduced. 

NOTE: Bold words or phrases underlined in blue can be found in the 

Glossary of Terms, beginning on page 42. 
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District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

 

How the Retirement Plan Works 

The District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan has been designed to 

provide eligible judges with a monthly beneft during retirement. The amount of 

your beneft depends on your years of service, your basic salary and your age 

when you retire. 

Plan Participation 

You are automatically a participant in the retirement plan if you are: 

• a judge in the District of Columbia Court of Appeals; 

• a judge in the District of Columbia Superior Court; or 

• the Executive Offcer for the District of Columbia Courts. 

If you leave the District of Columbia Courts after contributing to the retirement 

plan and you are later rehired, you become a participant on the day you are 

re-employed. 

Your Retirement Plan At-A-Glance 

Regular Retirement 

Age 50 if you have at least 20 years of judicial 

service; or 

Age 60 if you have at least 10 years of judicial 

service; or 

Age 74 when retirement is mandatory. 

Early Retirement 

Beneft Eligibility 

Age 55 if you have between 10 and 19 years of 

judicial service. The judicial service component 

of the beneft is reduced by 1/12 of 1% for each 

month or fraction of a month you are under age 

60 at the time benefts begin. The credited 

service component is not reduced. 

Deferred Retirement 

Beneft Eligibility 

The eligibility requirements are the same age and 

service requirements as the regular and early 

retirement benefts. 

Your retirement plan also offers disability retirement benefts (see pages 11 

and 27) and survivor benefts (see pages 17 and 28). 

Your retirement beneft may not exceed 80% of fnal basic salary. Your fnal 

basic salary is the salary you earned immediately before you retired. 
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District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

 

Your Contributions 

You must make contributions to your retirement plan. Your contributions are: 

• mandatory—3.5% of your annual basic salary while you are 

working. 

• voluntary—an additional 3.5% of your annual basic salary if you 

elect a survivor beneft for your spouse and/or eligible dependent 

child(ren). Once you retire, you must continue to contribute 3.5% of 

your retirement beneft for your survivor beneft election. 

Contributions are automatically withheld from your basic salary. Voluntary 

contributions that are made after you retire are paid from your retirement 

beneft. Mandatory and voluntary contributions are deducted from your pay 

each pay period and are deposited into the District of Columbia Judicial 

Retirement and Survivors’ Annuity Fund (“Retirement Fund”). 

These contributions are always yours, and you can receive them as a lump 

sum refund if you leave offce prior to retirement. 

How Benefts are Paid 

When you retire, you will receive your retirement beneft in monthly 

installments. You are due your frst payment on the frst business day of 

the frst month after the beneft accrues. It usually takes between 30 and 

60 calendar days after the Benefts Administrator receives your retirement 

package from the D.C. Courts, Human Resources Division before you receive 

your frst payment. 

Your frst payment will be deposited into your account (if you elect the direct 

deposit option) on the frst business day of the month after your retirement is 

processed. You will be paid for benefts accrued back to your retirement date. 

Succeeding payments will be deposited on the frst business day of each 

month. Beneft payments stop on the day of your death. 

NOTE: If the frst of the month falls on a weekend or a holiday, the beneft 

is paid on the frst business day of the month. For example, if you accrue 

a beneft in January and the frst of February is a Sunday, your monthly 

beneft for January will be paid on Monday, February 2. 
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District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

If you elected a spouse survivor beneft, payments to your survivor are effective 

on the day after your death. Payments to your spouse continue until your 

spouse remarries (if prior to age 55) or dies. 

If your child(ren) is eligible for a survivor beneft, payments will continue until 

he or she reaches age 18 (or 22 if the child is a full-time student), marries, or 

dies—whichever occurs frst. Payments to an unmarried child who is incapable 

of self-support because of a mental or physical disability that occurred before 

age 18 will terminate when he or she marries, recovers from the disability, or 

dies—whichever occurs frst. 
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District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

When You Are Eligible to 

Receive Benefts 

The retirement plan offers a regular retirement beneft, an early retirement 

beneft, a deferred retirement beneft, a disability retirement beneft and a 

beneft for your survivors in the event of your death. For information about how 

to calculate your retirement beneft. (See page 21.) 

Regular Retirement Beneft 

You are eligible for a regular retirement beneft: 

• at age 50 if you have 20 or more years of judicial service; or 

• at age 60 if you have at least 10 years of judicial service; or 

• when you reach age 74, the mandatory retirement age for judges 

in the District of Columbia, regardless of how many years of judicial 

service you have. 

Eligibility for Executive Offcers of the District of 

Columbia Courts 

If you are the Executive Offcer of the District of Columbia Courts, you are 

eligible for retirement when you have completed seven years of service as an 

Executive Offcer, whether continuous or not. The Executive Offcer will receive 

the same retirement compensation under this plan as an associate judge of 

the Superior Court, with the only difference being the service requirement of 

seven years as the Executive Offcer. 

Early Retirement Beneft 

If you have between 10 and 19 years of judicial service, you may elect to 

receive an early retirement beneft at any time between ages 55 and 60. Your 

retirement beneft is reduced by 1/12 of 1% for each month or fraction of a 

month that you are under age 60 when your retirement beneft is scheduled to 

begin. 
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District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

 

Deferred Retirement Beneft 

If you have separated from service with the District of Columbia Courts with at 

least 10 years of judicial service, but before you are eligible to retire and do not 

take a lump sum refund, you may elect to receive a deferred early retirement 

beneft at any time between ages 55 and 60, or a deferred retirement beneft at 

age 60 or later. You must begin to receive that beneft no later than April 1st of 

the calendar year following the year you become age 70 1/2. 

If you are rehired, you may retain credit for service previously earned if you 

did not receive a lump sum refund for your judicial service. Judicial service for 

which you received a lump sum refund cannot be repurchased. 

Disability Retirement Beneft 

If you become mentally or physically disabled, you may voluntarily retire with 

fve or more years of service, including creditable civilian service. 

Voluntary Retirement Due to Disability 

To be eligible for a voluntary disability retirement, you must have a mental or 

physical disability that is likely to become permanent and that prevents or 

seriously interferes with the performance of your judicial duties. 

You must provide the Benefts Administrator with a certifcate of disability 

signed by a doctor that is duly licensed and approved by the Surgeon General 

of the United States. You may be asked to provide supporting evidence before 

your claim is approved. 

If you voluntarily stop working because you are disabled and you have fewer 

than fve years of judicial or creditable civilian service, you will receive a lump 

sum refund of your retirement and survivor beneft contributions, if any. 

Involuntary Disability Retirement 

You may be retired involuntarily if the Commission on Judicial Disabilities and 

Tenure determines that your disability is likely to become permanent and 

will prevent or seriously interfere with your judicial duties. If you are retired 

involuntarily, you may receive a retirement beneft without meeting any service 

requirements. The minimum disability beneft is 50% of your fnal basic salary 

and the maximum is 80% of your fnal basic salary. 
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District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

Maximum Retirement Beneft 

There is a maximum retirement beneft you can earn as a retired judge, 

regardless of the type of retirement beneft you are receiving. Your retirement 

beneft may not exceed 80% of your fnal basic salary, which is the salary you 

received immediately before you retired. 
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District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

 

Life Events 

This section discusses certain life events that may affect your retirement 

beneft, such as marriage, divorce, disability, incurring a break in service, 

returning to work after retirement, leaving work, or death. 

If You Marry 

If you marry while in service as an active judge, contact the D.C. Courts, 

Human Resources Division if you wish to name your spouse as your 

benefciary for this retirement plan. If you marry after retirement, contact 

the Benefts Administrator to name your spouse as the benefciary for this 

plan. Phone numbers and addresses for the D.C. Courts, Human Resources 

Division and the Benefts Administrator begin on page 39. If you name your 

spouse as your benefciary, this does not entitle him or her to a survivor 

beneft. That is a separate election. See page 17 for more information. 

You may elect a survivor beneft for your spouse and your eligible dependents. 

You must elect survivor benefts within six months from the date you 

marry or within six months after you take offce or you are reappointed or 

recommissioned. For information about survivor benefts, see page 17. 

If You Divorce 

If you divorce after having elected the survivor beneft, upon request, you will 

be refunded the amount you contributed toward the survivor beneft provided 

you do not have eligible child(ren) or a Qualifed Domestic Relations Order 

(QDRO) which directs benefts to your former spouse. 

Qualifed Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) 

If you divorce, in some cases the plan may have to pay benefts to your former 

spouse. This will depend on the terms of your divorce and what instructions 

are contained in an applicable QDRO issued on or after March 16,1989. Your 

former spouse may be awarded all or a portion of your retirement beneft, a 

payment from your retirement beneft, or a survivor beneft if the Plan receives 

a qualifying court order. To be acceptable, the QDRO must state: 

• Whether your former spouse is entitled to a survivor beneft or 

whether you must provide a survivor beneft for your former spouse; 
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District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

• your former spouse’s share of your beneft as a fxed-dollar amount 

or a percentage or fraction of a retirement beneft; and 

• whether your former spouse should receive payment directly from 

the Treasury Department. 

A QDRO can be accepted after you retire if it is based on the type of beneft 

payment you chose. For example, if you were married at the time you retired 

and you chose to receive a reduced retirement beneft in order to provide a 

survivor beneft—and then you get divorced—a QDRO to continue the survivor 

beneft for your former spouse is acceptable. However, if you did not elect a 

survivor beneft when you retired, the QDRO cannot require the plan to provide 

a survivor beneft for your former spouse. 

If your former spouse is receiving beneft payments from this plan but 

remarries before age 55, payments will stop.Your payments will be 

restored to the amount they would have been if there had not been a 

court order. 

If the court order grants your former spouse full benefts, any benefciary who 

may have otherwise received a beneft under the plan may not receive one. 

If You Become Disabled 

If you become disabled after you have earned fve or more years of total 

service, you may be eligible to receive a disability retirement beneft. You 

must provide the Benefts Administrator with proof of your disability signed 

by a doctor that is duly licensed and approved by the Surgeon General of 

the United States. The Benefts Administrator may ask for additional evidence 

before approving your claim for a disability retirement beneft. 

If you become disabled and resign before completing fve years of service, 

you will receive a lump sum refund for retirement contributions that you made 

and any amount that you deposited or transferred into the retirement fund. 

If you retire involuntarily due to your disability, you will be eligible for a disability 

retirement beneft regardless of the years of service you have earned. 

The minimum disability beneft is 50% of your fnal basic salary and the 

maximum beneft is 80%. 

For information on how to calculate a disability retirement beneft, see page 

page 27. 
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District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

 

If You Have a Break in Service 

You will incur a break in service if you resign or leave the District of Columbia 

Courts for reasons other than normal or disability retirement. When you have a 

break in service, your plan membership stops. At that time, you may receive a 

lump sum refund as described below. 

Receiving a Refund of Contributions 

When you separate from service, you may elect to receive a lump sum refund 

of the retirement contributions you made, any voluntary survivor beneft 

contributions you made, and the amount that you deposited or transferred to 

receive civilian credited service. You must make this election at least 31 days 

before you are eligible for a regular retirement beneft. 

If you are rehired as a judge, you may retain the credit for judicial service you 

earned before and during that break, provided you did not receive a lump sum 

refund. Once you take a lump sum refund for judicial service, the judicial 

service cannot be repurchased. 

Rollover 

If you are eligible for a lump sum refund, you may choose to roll it over to 

another qualifed plan or an IRA. For more information, ask your Benefts 

Administrator for the Rollover Information Sheet. See page 39 for contact 

information. 

If You Work as a Senior Judge After 

Retirement 

You may receive compensation for work as a Senior Judge for a limited 

number of days each year while you are receiving a retirement beneft. Your 

work as a Senior Judge does not count toward calculating a retirement beneft. 

The number of days you will be paid per year is based on the following 

formula: 

Annual Salary of Your Retirement Amount of Compensation You — = an Active Judge Benefit Can Earn as a Senior Judge 

For example, if the annual salary of an active judge is $150,000 and your 

retirement beneft is $90,000, you may receive up to $60,000 in compensation 

as a Senior Judge. 
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District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

If You Leave Work 

If you separate from service with the District of Columbia Courts and do not 

take a lump sum refund, you may be eligible to elect to receive a deferred 

retirement beneft at a later date. The eligibility requirements to begin a 

deferred retirement beneft are the same age and service requirements as for 

the regular or early retirement benefts. See discussion of deferred retirement 

beneft on page 11. 

When You Die or After Death 

When you die, your survivor should contact both the D.C. Courts, Human 

Resources Division and the Benefts Administrator. If you have elected 

the survivor beneft (see page 17), your survivor will need to complete an 

application and provide the D.C. Courts, Human Resources Division with 

certain documentation (such as marriage and death certifcates). Your 

surviving spouse will receive 55% of your retirement beneft as a monthly 

beneft for the rest of his or her life unless he or she remarries before age 55. 

If applicable, your surviving child will also receive a monthly beneft until he 

or she is no longer eligible. If you die without a surviving spouse or surviving 

children, a lump sum credit of your contributions will be paid out following the 

order of precedence. (See page 18.) 
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District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

Survivor Benefts 

The survivor beneft is an optional beneft that you must elect if you want to 

provide a monthly beneft for your spouse and/or your eligible child(ren). Your 

share of the cost for a survivor beneft is an additional 3.5% of your basic salary 

while you are working and 3.5% of your retirement beneft during your retirement. 

You must make a survivor beneft election in writing within six months of the 

date that you take offce, become reappointed or recommissioned, or within 

six months of the date you marry. The written election should be submitted to 

the D.C. Courts, Human Resources Division while in active service as a judge, 

or the Benefts Administrator if you marry after you retire. See page 39 for 

contact information. 

If you elect the survivor beneft after you start your judicial service or after you 

retire, you must make a deposit of an additional 3.5% of your basic salary 

plus interest, and if applicable, 3.5% of retirement benefts you received plus 

interest, back to the starting date of your judicial service. In addition, 

if you purchase or had purchased creditable civilian service, you must also 

contribute an additional 3.5% of the basic salary you earned in civilian service, 

plus interest. However, if you transfer civilian service creditable under Title 

5 of the United States Code §8332 for which full contributions were made to 

the retirement system, you do not need to make additional contributions for 

a survivor beneft. Service under the Federal Employees Retirement System 

(FERS) does not count as credited service under this plan. 

In order for survivor benefts to be paid, the judge must have elected such 

benefts and must have at least fve years of creditable service during which 

contributions were withheld or deposits made. Five years of creditable service 

is required whether the judge dies in active service or after retirement. See 

See page 18 for information on the lump sum credit for survivor benefts. 

Survivor beneft payments are effective on the day after your death. 

Eligibility 

Survivor benefts can be paid to your eligible spouse and your eligible 

child(ren). Your spouse must have been married to you for at least two years 

prior to your death, or be the natural father or mother of a child by your 

marriage. 
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District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

Your spouse is eligible to receive the survivor beneft for his or her lifetime 

unless he or she remarries before reaching age 55. If this happens, the 

survivor beneft will terminate and he or she will be paid the portion of the 

beneft that has accrued through the date of remarriage. If your spouse 

remarries after age 55, survivor beneft payments will continue for your 

spouse’s lifetime. 

Your child(ren) is eligible for the survivor beneft until he or she reaches age 18 

(or 22 if the child is a full time student), marries or dies–whichever occurs frst. 

Payments to an unmarried child who is incapable of self-support because of 

a mental or physical disability that occurred before age 18 will terminate when 

he or she remarries, recovers from disability, or dies–whichever occurs frst. 

Paying for the Survivor Beneft 

If you elect the survivor beneft, you may make your required deposits in a 

lump sum or in installments. If you do not make the required deposits after 

you elect this beneft, your spouse’s annual beneft will be reduced by 10% 

of the total deposits you did not make unless your spouse elects to pay the 

remaining deposit or to eliminate the service not covered by the deposit. 

Lump Sum Credit for Survivor Benefts 

A lump sum credit equal to the amount you contributed and/or deposited for 

the survivor beneft will be paid if you elected the survivor beneft and you die: 

• while in regular active service before completing fve years of 

judicial or credited service; or 

• after retirement and you have no eligible survivors; or 

• after completing fve years of judicial or credited service and you 

have no eligible survivors; or 

• if your survivor’s rights to a beneft have terminated before a valid 

claim for benefts has been established. 

The lump sum credit will be paid to the frst person who survives you in the 

following order of precedence: 

• the benefciaries you name in writing and who are on fle with the 

Benefts Administrator prior to your death; 

• your spouse; 
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District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

 

• your child or children and the descendants of any deceased child 

by representation; 

• your parents or the survivors of them; 

• your estate; 

• your next of kin as determined by the Benefts Administrator to be 

entitled to the payment under laws of your domicile at the time of 

your death. 

If you and your spouse divorce and you do not have an eligible dependent 

child(ren), you may elect a lump sum refund for the amount you contributed 

toward a survivor beneft, provided there is no QDRO requiring that a survivor 

beneft be paid to your former spouse. 

If Your Spouse Dies 

If your spouse dies before you and you do not have an eligible dependent 

child, you may elect a lump sum refund for the amount you contributed toward 

a survivor beneft. If this occurs after retirement, and you do not have an 

eligible child, your retirement beneft payments will be increased (for future 

payments) to the amount they would have been if you had not elected a 

survivor beneft. 

You must notify the Benefts Administrator and provide your spouse’s death 

certifcate to claim your full annuity and a refund of your survivor contributions. 

If your spouse dies while receiving a survivor beneft and is survived by an 

eligible dependent child or children, the beneft to the surviving child will be 

calculated as described on page 29. 

If your spouse dies while receiving the survivor beneft and there is no 

surviving dependent child, any remaining unexpended contributions will 

be paid to the executor or administrator of the spouse’s estate, or if there is 

no such person, the Benefts Administrator will name a person to be legally 

entitled to the unexpended contributions. 
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District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

If You Have Not Elected the Survivor Beneft 

If you have not elected the survivor beneft and you die while in regular active 

service, the lump sum credit for your contributions toward your retirement 

beneft will be paid to your benefciary, or if none, then to other persons 

following the order of precedence shown on page 18. 

If Your Benefts Terminate 

If retirement benefts for you or your dependents terminate before the 

aggregate amount of benefts paid (including your retirement beneft) equals 

the total amount of retirement contributions credited to your account, the 

difference will be paid following the order of precedence shown on page 18. 
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District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

 

 

How Your Retirement Beneft 

is Calculated 

You can determine the beneft you will receive at retirement by using the 

formulas described in this section. The calculations used to determine your 

beneft are based on your: 

• fnal basic salary, which is the pay you are receiving immediately 

before you retire as a judge; and 

• total service, which is your judicial service and your credited service 

combined. 

Your Total Service 

Total service consists of years, months and days of judicial service (your 

service as a judge) and years and months of credited service (civilian or 

military service for the Federal government). 

Judicial Service 

The amount of judicial service you have determines if and when you are 

eligible for retirement. Judicial service means service as the Executive Offcer 

of the District of Columbia Courts or as a judge in the: 

• District of Columbia Court of Appeals; or 

• District of Columbia Superior Court. 

Judicial service with certain courts that no longer exist also constitutes judicial 

service under this plan. These courts include: 

• Juvenile Court of the District of Columbia; 

• District of Columbia Tax Court; 

• Police Court; 

• Municipal Court; 

• Municipal Court of Appeals; or 

• District of Columbia Court of General Sessions. 
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District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

Credited Service 

Credited service refers to military or civilian service that you performed (other 

than judicial service) that is considered “creditable” under §8332 of Title 5 

of the United States Code. Your credited service is used in addition to your 

judicial service in calculating the amount of your retirement beneft through this 

retirement plan. If you have a question about whether or not your non-judicial 

service is creditable, contact the D.C. Courts, Offce of Human Resources 

Division. (See page 40.) Service under the Federal Employees Retirement 

System (FERS) does not count as credited service under this plan. 

You may elect to receive credit for your civilian or military service, but the 

election must be made while you are earning judicial service or at the time you 

retire. The method by which you receive credit for your service depends on 

whether or not you accrued (but did not receive) a retirement beneft through 

another plan or you received a lump sum payout of contributions you made to 

the retirement plan. 

If You Accrued Retirement Benefts Through Another 

Retirement System 

Civilian Service Credit Transfer 

If you have made contributions for retirement under the Civil Service 

Retirement System (CSRS), including CSRS Offset, you may transfer those 

contributions from the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund into the 

Plan to receive credit for the service. With the transfer of contributions, your 

CSRS service will become part of the creditable service used to calculate your 

retirement beneft. If you do not elect a survivor beneft, you may be eligible 

to receive a partial refund of the contributions. You do not need to make 

any deposits in addition to the transferred amount if you made the required 

contributions under the other retirement system. However, if CSRS Offset 

service is credited, if and when you become eligible to receive Social Security 

benefts, your Plan beneft will be reduced by an amount equal to the portion 

of your Social Security beneft attributable to the CSRS Offset service. 
23

District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

 

 

If You Received a Lump Sum Payout of Retirement 

Contributions 

Civilian Service Credit Purchase 

If you received a lump sum payout of your contributions from another 

retirement plan for which the service may be creditable under this plan, you 

must make a deposit equal to 3.5% of the basic salary you earned for each 

year of creditable civilian service, plus interest on the deposit to receive credit 

under this plan. 

FOR EXAMPLE: 

Judge Jones left employment after 15 years of creditable service and received a lump sum 

payout of his retirement contributions from the Civil Service Retirement System. His basic 

salary was $50,000 for his frst fve years, $60,000 for his second fve years and $75,000 

for his fnal fve years. After he received his payout, he became a judge in the District of 

Columbia. Judge Jones must deposit 3.5% of his basic salary for each of the 15 years he 

worked under the Civil Service Retirement System if he wants to include those years in 

calculating the amount of his retirement beneft through the District of Columbia Judges’ 

Retirement Plan. Judge Jones contributes $32,375 (plus interest) to the Fund for his 15 

years of credited service. 

3.5% x $50,000 = $1,750 x 5 years = $8,750 

3.5% x $60,000 = $2,100 x 5 years = $10,500 

3.5% x $75,000 = $2,625 x 5 years = $13,125 

$8,750 + $10,500 + $13,125 = $32,375 

You may make your deposit as a lump sum or in installments while you are 

earning judicial service. You may make installment payments on a purchase 

of service up until the time you retire. If you are making your deposit in 

installments, you may request to pay the balance as a lump sum at any time. 

To initiate a purchase of service, contact the D.C. Courts, Human Resources 

Division. See page 40 for more information. 

If you separated from civilian service prior to October 1, 1990, in lieu of 

making a full deposit, you may complete your purchase of civilian service 

credit by accepting an actuarial reduction of your retirement beneft. The 

amount of the reduction is such that if you live your average life expectancy, 

the total reduction would be equal to the deposit balance. 
24

District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

 

Paying Interest on Civilian Service Credit Purchase 

You will have to pay interest on a civilian service credit purchase. Interest is 

due for the period beginning on the frst day of the frst month after the end of 

the service period for which the deposit is made, and ending on either: 

• the last day of the month preceding the month during which the 

deposit is made if you make a lump sum deposit; or 

• the last day of the month during which you make your frst payment, 

if you are paying in installments. If you are paying the deposit 

in installments, interest is due on the unpaid balance, but it is 

calculated at a different interest rate. 

For the period from January 1, 1948 through February 14, 1980, the interest rate is 

3% per year. For the period from February 15, 1980 through September 30, 1980, 

the interest rate is based on the average rate of interest on interest-bearing 

obligations of the United States forming a part of the public debt. 

For the period from October 1, 1980 through April 30, 1999, the interest rate is 

based on the average rate of return on investment for the District of Columbia 

Judges’ Retirement Fund. For the period beginning May 1, 1999, the interest 

rate is based on the average rate of return on investment for the District of 

Columbia Judicial Retirement and Survivors’ Annuity Fund. 

If you have not elected a survivor beneft and transferred funds from the Civil 

Service Retirement and Disability Fund or the retirement fund of any other 

Federal (except FERS) or D.C. retirement plan for civilian employees in excess 

of the required amount, you will be granted a refund of the excess amount. 

Military Service Credit 

If you elect to receive credit for military service that is creditable under Title 

United States Code §8332, you do not have to transfer or deposit funds to 

receive credit. However, if you are receiving military retirement pay you cannot 

also receive a retirement beneft from this plan based on the military service 

for which you are receiving military retirement pay. 

Participation in Other Retirement Plans 

You may elect to simultaneous receive a retirement beneft from this plan and 

another civilian or military retirement plan of the Federal or D.C. government. 

If you choose this option, your service under another plan will not be used to 
25

District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

calculate your retirement beneft under this plan. However, it may be used to 

determine your eligibility for a voluntary disability retirement. 

Calculating the Regular Retirement Beneft 

To calculate your regular retirement beneft, you will need to know the 

following: 

1. Your years of judicial service: _______ 

2. Your years of credited service: _______ 

3. Your fnal basic salary (the pay that you receive 

immediately before you retire as a judge): ______ 

Step 1. Multiply your basic salary by your years of judicial service and divide by 30. 

basic salary x judicial service ÷ 30 = $ 

Step 2. Multiply your basic salary by 1.5% (0.015) and then multiply by the number 

of years of credited service you have, up to fve. If you have more than fve years of 

credited service, you will also complete step 3. 

basic salary x 1.5% x years of service (1 through 5) = $ 

Step 3. Multiply your basic salary by 1.75% (0.0175) and then multiply by the 

number of years of credited service you have between fve and ten years. If you 

have more than ten years of credited service, you will also complete step 4. 

basic salary x 1.75% x years of service (6 through 10) = $ 

Step 4. Multiply your basic salary by 2% (0.02) and then multiply by the number of 

years of credited service you have beyond ten. 

basic salary x 2% x years of service over 10 = $ 

Step 5. Add together the totals from steps one through four to determine the amount 

of your annual retirement beneft. 

Total = Step 1 + Step 2 + Step 3 + Step 4 = $ 
26

District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

 

FOR EXAMPLE: 

Judge Cochran decides to retire at age 60 when he will have 20 years of judicial service and 

7 years of civilian service. His fnal basic salary is $150,000. 

FORMULA: 

$150,000 X 20/30 = $100,000 

(his judicial service) 

+ 

$150,000 X 1.5% X 5 = $11,250 

(his frst fve years of creditable civilian service) 

+ 

$150,000 X 1.75% X 2 = $5,250 

(his next two years of creditable civilian service)

 = 

Total annual regular retirement beneft = 

($100,000 + $11,250 + $5,250) = $116,500 

(77.6% of Judge Cochran’s basic salary) 

NOTE:The portion of your retirement beneft that is related to civilian 

service is calculated under the civil service formula (CSRS credit formula) 

provided in Title 5 United States Code §8339 rather than the formula in 

D.C. Code §11-1564(a), except that “average pay” for the purpose of 

calculating your retirement beneft is your fnal basic salary. 

Your retirement beneft cannot equal more than 80% of your fnal basic salary. 

If your beneft is actuarially reduced, the reduced retirement beneft cannot 

equal more than 80% of your fnal basic salary. If it happens that you received 

credit for more service than you needed to receive a maximum retirement 

beneft, you may not receive a partial refund of amounts you contributed to the 

plan, including amounts contributed to purchase civilian service. 

Calculating the Early Retirement Beneft 

You are eligible for an early retirement beneft if you are at least age 55 and 

have more than 10 (but fewer than 20) years of judicial service. Your early 

retirement beneft is calculated the same way that a regular retirement beneft 

is calculated. However, the amount of your judicial service component of the 

beneft will be reduced by 1/12 of 1% for each month or fraction of a month 

that you are under age 60 when you retire. 
27

District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

FOR EXAMPLE: 

Judge Bell decides to retire at age 57 with 16 years of judicial service and 4 years of 

creditable civilian service. Her basic salary is $150,000. For the purposes of this example, 

let’s assume that at retirement she is exactly 36 months younger than 60. Her early 

retirement beneft will be calculated as follows: 

FORMULA: 

$150,000 X 16/30 = $80,000 (her judicial service) 

Reduction for early retirement is 3% of $80,000 = $2,400 ($80,000 

- $2,400 ) Judicial service beneft portion = $77,600 

+ 

$150,000 X 1.5% X 4 = $9,000 (her creditable civilian service) 

= 

Total annual early retirement beneft =($77,600 + $9,000) = 

$86,600 

Calculating the Deferred Retirement Beneft 

The deferred retirement beneft is calculated in the same way as a regular 

retirement beneft and early retirement beneft, depending on age and years of 

service. 

Calculating the Disability Retirement Beneft 

Your disability retirement beneft is based on your basic salary and your years 

of service at the time you retire. 

Your disability retirement beneft is calculated the same way as a regular 

retirement beneft. There is no reduction to your beneft if you are younger 

than age 60 and you retire due to a disability. If you become disabled and 

resign before completing fve years of service, you will not be eligible for a 

disability retirement beneft. You will receive a lump sum refund that includes 

your retirement contributions deducted from your basic salary, plus any 

amount that you have deposited or transferred into the retirement fund. For 

more information about the disability retirement beneft, see “If You Become 

Disabled” on page 14. 

Calculating the Involuntary Disability Beneft 

You may be retired involuntarily if the Commission on Judicial Disabilities 

and Tenure determines that your disability is likely to become permanent 

and will prevent or seriously interfere with your judicial duties. If you retire 

involuntarily, you may receive a retirement beneft without meeting any service 

requirements. 
28

District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

 

The beneft is calculated using the regular retirement beneft formula, with a 

minimum disability beneft of 50% of your fnal basic salary and a maximum of 

80% of your fnal basic salary. 

Calculating the Survivor Beneft 

If you have elected the survivor beneft prior to your retirement, or within six 

months of marriage after retirement, your spouse and eligible dependents may 

receive a beneft in the event of your death. The survivor beneft is payable to 

your spouse and eligible dependent child(ren). 

Your child is eligible for the survivor beneft until he or she reaches age 18 (or 

22 if the child is a full-time student), marries or dies—whichever occurs frst. 

Payments to an unmarried child who is incapable of self-support because of a 

mental or physical disability that occurred before age 18 end when he or she 

marries, recovers from the disability, or dies—whichever occurs frst. 

The survivor beneft is calculated as follows: 

Surviving Spouse Only 

If your spouse is your only survivor, and you die before you retire, your spouse will 

receive the greater of: 

55% of the retirement beneft 

that you would be entitled to 

receive if you had retired on 

the day before your death. 

OR 

55% of the retirement beneft that you 

would be entitled to receive if you had 15 

years of judicial service and had retired 

on the day before your death. 

If you die after you retire, your spouse will receive 55% of your retirement beneft 

payable to you on the day before the date of death. 

Surviving Spouse and Child(ren) 

If your spouse and eligible child(ren) are your survivors, your spouse’s beneft 

is calculated using the formula above. Then, each year, each dependent child 

receives one-half of the spouse’s annual beneft up to the lesser of: 

$6,363 per year 

(as of January 2019) OR 

$19,086 per year (as of January 2019) 

Divided by the number of eligible 

children. 
29

District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

Surviving Child(ren) Only 

If you do not have a surviving spouse, each eligible child receives a beneft 

calculated the same way as the spouse’s beneft if the spouse had survived. 

However, the maximum annual beneft for each child is the lesser of: 

$7,636 per year 

(as of January 2019) OR 

22,910 per year (as of January 2019) 

Divided by the number of eligible 

children. 

FOR EXAMPLE: 

Judge Marcus wants to provide a survivor beneft for his spouse. His basic salary is 

$150,000 and he has earned 20 years of judicial service and seven years of civilian service. 

FORMULA: 

$150,000 X 20/30 = $100,000 

(his judicial service)

 + 

$150,000 X 1.5% X 5 = $11,250 

(his frst fve years of creditable civilian service)

 + 

$150,000 X 1.75% X 2 = $5,250 

(his next two years of creditable civilian service)

 = 

Total annual retirement beneft = ($100,00 + $11,250 + $5,250) = 

$116,500 

Then, his total retirement beneft is multiplied by 55%: 

$116,500 X .55 = $64,075 

When Judge Marcus dies, his spouse would receive an annual 

survivor beneft of $64,075 for the rest of her life, unless she 

remarries before age 55. 

All survivor beneft amounts are subject to cost of living adjustments as 

described below. 
30

District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

Cost of Living Adjustments 

Your retirement benefts are adjusted on December 1st of each year to refect 

changes in the cost of living for the past year based on a particular Consumer 

Price Index (CPI) provided under §8340 of Title 5 of the United States Code. 

Your adjustment is refected in your January payment. 

Your frst adjustment after retirement is prorated by multiplying the CPI 

adjustment by 1/12, then multiplying this fgure by the number of months you 

have been receiving your retirement beneft. 

For example, assume the December 1st cost of living increase is 3% and you 

retired earlier that year on January 15th. Your frst cost-of-living adjustment, 

payable in January of the following year, would be 2.8% because it would be 

based on 11 months rather than a full year. 

After the frst year, you and your survivors would be entitled to the full amount 

of all future cost of living adjustments. 
31

District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

Applying for a Retirement Beneft 

You or your survivor must apply to receive retirement, disability or survivor 

benefts under the Plan. 

You should contact the D.C. Courts, Human Resources Division as early 

as six months before you wish to retire to meet with a retirement counselor 

and review your personnel folder to ensure that your service is properly 

documented and verifed. The D.C. Courts, Human Resources Division can 

provide you with an estimate of your retirement beneft. 

Timetable to Apply for Benefts 

What You Should Do: Your Time Frame: 

Contact the D.C. Courts, 

Human Resources Division 

with an approximate date of 

your retirement to make an 

appointment 

Six months before your 

anticipated retirement date 

Request a retirement beneft 

estimate 

Three to six months before your 

anticipated retirement date 

Submit your application 30 days before your anticipated 

retirement date 

Receive your frst beneft 

payment 

30 to 60 calendar days from your 

retirement date 

Filing Your Application 

You must fle your completed application for a retirement beneft with the 

Benefts Administrator. If you are fling an application for a voluntary disability 

retirement beneft, you must include a certifcate of disability to be fled with 

the Benefts Administrator that is signed by a doctor who is duly licensed and 

approved by the Surgeon General of the United States. 

For an application for an involuntary disability retirement, the Benefts 

Administrator requires a determination by the District of Columbia Commission 
32

District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

on Judicial Disabilities and Tenure and an order of involuntary retirement fled 

in the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. 

If Your Application is Denied 

If your application for retirement benefts is denied in whole or in part, the 

Benefts Administrator will notify you in writing. The notice will advise you of 

your right to request reconsideration of the denial and the time limits for doing 

so. 

You must submit your request for reconsideration to the Benefts Administrator 

in writing within 30 days from the date of the denial. Your request must include: 

• your name; 

• your address; 

• your date of birth; 

• the claim number (if applicable); and 

• a statement of the basis for the request. 

If your reconsideration request is denied, you will receive written notice from 

the Benefts Administrator with the specifc reason for the denial, and your 

right to appeal to the Treasury Department and how to do so. 

If you submit an appeal to the Treasury Department, your appeal must include 

the same information as your original request for reconsideration and state 

the basis for your appeal. The Treasury Department must receive the appeal 

within 30 days from the date of the reconsideration decision. 

The Treasury Department’s fnal decision on the appeal will be in writing, will 

fully set forth the Department’s fndings and conclusions on the appeal, and 

will contain notice of your right to judicial review of the decision. 

Judicial Review 

An individual whose claim has been denied (in whole or in part) by the 

Treasury Department in a fnal decision may fle a civil action in the United 

States District Court for the District of Columbia. The action must be fled 

within 180 days of the date of the fnal decision from the Treasury Department. 
33

District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

 

 

Continuing Your Health and Life Insurance 

Benefts 

Generally, you must have at least fve years of continuous health* and/or life 

insurance* coverage immediately prior to your retirement date in order to 

continue your coverage into retirement. The fve year requirement for health 

insurance coverage will not apply if you retire on a disability whether voluntary 

or involuntary. In addition, the Offce of Personnel Management (OPM) has 

the sole discretion to waive the health coverage requirements for annuitants in 

exceptional circumstances. Under certain circumstances, your former spouse 

who is party to a QDRO and your surviving spouse may also be eligible 

to continue receiving health insurance coverage. For more information on 

QDROs, see page 13. 

For information regarding health and/or life insurance, please refer to Contact 

Information on page 40. 

* The U.S. Offce of Personnel Management negotiates and administers 

the health and life insurance programs.The Benefts Administrator only 

provides forms and information on the programs. 

Receiving Your Beneft 

Once your application for regular or disability retirement benefts is approved/ 

granted by the Benefts Administrator, the Benefts Administrator will begin 

processing your application. Provided the Benefts Administrator has all of the 

required documents, it usually takes between 30 and 60 calendar days after the 

Benefts Administrator receives your retirement package from the D.C. Courts, 

Human Resources Division before you receive your frst payment. Your annuity 

is payable to you on the frst business day of each month. 

The above information also applies to when and how your eligible survivor(s) 

receives his/her regular survivor beneft payment. The timing and distribution 

of a lump-sum survivor beneft payment will vary. The above information also 

applies to plan members who are eligible to receive a deferred retirement 

beneft (including their survivor(s)). 

NOTE: It is important that you contact the Benefts Administrator if you 

move or change your designated fnancial institution. Your annuity may 

be delayed if you fail to update your records. 
34

District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

Receiving a Retirement or Survivor Beneft 

Involving a Qualifed Domestic Relations 

Order (QDRO) 

Retirement Beneft 

If a QDRO is issued awarding your former spouse all, or a portion, of your 

retirement beneft, his/her beneft payments will stop if your retirement beneft 

payments stop or if he/she predeceases you. If beneft payments to a former 

spouse stop due to his/her death, your future retirement beneft payments will 

be restored to the amount it would have been had a QDRO not been issued. 

Survivor Beneft 

If a QDRO awards all, or a portion of the survivor beneft to your former 

spouse, he/she will begin receiving the beneft upon your death. A survivor 

beneft paid to a former spouse will stop if he/she remarries prior to reaching 

age 55 or when he/she dies. If payments to a former spouse stop (or never 

begin), your eligible surviving spouse will begin receiving a survivor beneft 

payment as if a QDRO had not been issued. 

Refunds 

In certain situations you, your survivor, or your designated benefciary may 

be entitled to a refund of contributions made to the Retirement Plan. Certain 

refunds are defned in the Glossary of Terms under: Lump Sum Credit for 

Retirement and Lump Sum Credit for Survivor Beneft. For information 

regarding refunds, please see the following sections in this booklet: When 

You Die or After Death on page 16; If You Leave Work on page 16; Lump 

Sum Credit for Survivor Benefts on page 18; and If You Have Not Elected the 

Survivor Beneft on page 20. 

Rollovers 

If you are eligible for a lump sum refund, you may choose to roll it over to 

another qualifed plan or an IRA. For more information, ask your Benefts 

Administrator for the Rollover Information Sheet. 
35

District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

 

 

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions 

1. Who should I call if I have a question about my retirement 

plan? 

If you are an active judge, you should contact the D.C. Courts, Human 

Resources Division. Retirees should contact the Benefts Administrator. 

See page 39 for contact information. 

2. How much do I have to pay for my retirement beneft? 

You must deposit 3.5% of your basic salary. These contributions are 

deducted from your pay (after tax). 

3. How much do I have to pay if I want a survivor beneft for my 

spouse and/or eligible child(ren)? 

You must make contributions of 3.5% of your basic salary while an active 

judge, as well as 3.5% of your retirement benefts. This is in addition 

to the mandatory 3.5% contributions you make toward your retirement 

beneft while an active judge. The additional contributions for a survivor 

beneft begin the date of your appointment. 

4. How is my retirement beneft calculated? 

Your retirement beneft is calculated using a formula consisting of your 

years of total service and your basic salary immediately before you retire. 

See page 21 for details. 

5. Will federal taxes and state taxes be taken out of my 

retirement beneft? 

For federal taxes, you will be asked to complete a W-4P tax withholding 

form before you retire. State taxes can only be withheld for Maryland, 

Virginia or Washington, D.C. You may also complete the appropriate state 

tax form before you retire or contact the Benefts Administrator for the 

appropriate form after retirement. 

The amount of federal and/or state taxes withheld from your monthly 

annuity will depend on the number of allowances you elect. 

6. If my service is divided between civilian service and judicial 

service, do I receive credit for my civilian service? 

Yes. If your military or civilian service is creditable under §8332 of Title 5 

of the United States Code, you can chose to have this service included 

in the calculation of your retirement beneft. If you made contributions to 
36

District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

 

 

another pension plan, you must transfer the contributions from that plan 

to this one. If you received a payout of contributions from another plan, 

you must make a deposit to this plan based on the number of years of 

civilian service for which you want to receive credit plus interest. 

You do not need to transfer or make a deposit for creditable military 

service. Service under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) 

does not count as credited service under this plan. See page 22 for more 

information. 

7. Am I eligible to retire? 

You should contact the D.C. Courts, Human Resources Division to make 

an appointment to discuss your eligibility for retirement. 

8. Can I get an estimate of my retirement beneft? 

Yes. Contact the D.C. Courts, Human Resources Division to receive an 

estimate of your retirement beneft. 

9. Can I have my annuity payments directly deposited into my 

bank account? 

Yes. Contact the Benefts Administrator for a direct deposit form. 

Complete and sign the form, and return it to the Benefts Administrator. 

10. When will I receive my frst beneft payment? 

It usually takes between 30 and 60 calendar days after the Benefts 

Administrator receives your retirement package from the D.C. Courts, 

Human Resources Division before you receive your frst payment. 

11. Can I continue my health and life insurance benefts when I 

retire? 

Generally, you must have at least fve years of continuous health and/ 

or life insurance coverage immediately prior to your retirement date in 

order to continue your coverage into retirement. The fve year requirement 

for health insurance coverage will not apply if you retire on a disability. 

In addition, OPM has the sole discretion to waive the health coverage 

requirements for annuitants in exceptional circumstances. Under certain 

circumstances, your former spouse who is party to a QDRO and your 

surviving spouse may also be eligible to continue receiving health 

insurance coverage. For more information on QDROs, see page 13. 
37

District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

 

 

 

12. Can I change my health plan? 

Yes. Each year during open season, which is usually in November and 

December, you will receive information about available health plans. 

Contact the Benefts Administrator for an application to change your 

health plan. 

13. Will I receive a cost of living increase? 

In most years, yes. You will receive a cost of living increase every 

December when there is a year-to-year increase in the relevant Consumer 

Price Index. Increases are refected in your January beneft payment. 

14. Who is my benefciary for my life insurance? 

For information regarding life insurance coverage, your life insurance 

benefciary designation or to change your benefciary designation, you 

must contact one of the following offces: 

• if you are an active judge, you must contact the D.C Courts, Human 

Resources Division. 

• if you are retired, you must contact the Benefts Administrator. 

Please see page 39 for contact information. 

15. If I move, whom should I notify with my new address? 

If you move to a new address, contact the Benefts Administrator to 

update the address where your retirement beneft, earnings statement 

and other important information is sent. 

16. If I marry after I retire, can I elect a survivor beneft? 

Yes. You must elect a survivor beneft within six months of your marriage. 

You will need to make a deposit to the retirement fund. Contact the 

Benefts Administrator for more information. 
38

District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

Frequently Asked Questions for Survivors 

17. Where do I report a death? 

You must contact both the D.C Courts, Human Resources Division and 

the Benefts Administrator. 

18. How do I receive my survivor beneft? 

You must complete an application for the survivor beneft and provide 

your marriage and a death certifcate to your Benefts Administrator. If 

you receive any retiree beneft payments after the retiree’s date of death, 

you must return them before you can receive the survivor beneft. 

19. How long can a surviving spouse receive the survivor beneft? 

A surviving spouse is eligible to receive the survivor beneft for his or her 

lifetime unless he or she remarries before reaching age 55. 

20. How long can a child(ren) survivor receive a survivor beneft? 

A child(ren) survivor will receive a survivor beneft until the earliest of the 

following occurs: 

• the child dies; 

• the child marries; or 

• the child turns 18, or if a full-time student, age 22. 

If the child is a full-time student, the child and the academic institution 

must complete a Student Certifcation Form every semester. If the student 

remains in school, he or she can continue to receive a beneft up to the 

age of 22. Payments to an unmarried child who is incapable of selfsupport because of a mental or physical disability that occurred before 

age 18 will terminate when he or she marries, recovers from the disability, 

or dies—whichever occurs frst. 
39

District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

Contact Information 

The Benefts Administrator is available to answer your questions concerning 

your retirement benefts and other related retirement matters. Additionally, 

the Benefts Administrator makes fndings on facts, conclusions of law and 

decisions regarding eligibility for normal and voluntary disability retirement 

benefts. 

Contact Area Address/Phone 

Department of 

the Treasury, 

Offce of D.C. 

Pensions 

• To fle a reconsideration 

request if your beneft is 

denied 

• To fle an appeal if your 

request for reconsideration 

is denied 

• To change your benefciary 

• To report a death of a retiree 

or survivor 

• For more information about 

health or life insurance 

(retired judges) 

Department of the Treasury 

Offce of D.C. Pensions 

1500 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. 

Washington, D.C. 20220 

202-622-0800 

Below are other phone numbers and addresses for more specifc information. 
40

District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

Contact Area Address/Phone 

D.C. Courts, 

Human 

Resources 

Division 

• To request an estimate of 

your retirement beneft 

• To change your benefciary 

designation 

• To report a death of an 

employee 

• To request an application for 

a lump sum credit payment 

• To discuss your eligibility for 

retirement 

• To submit a retirement 

application 

• To elect a survivor beneft 

• For information about health 

insurance or life insurance 

(active judges) 

• To fnd out if your nonjudicial service is creditable 

D.C. Courts Division 

500 Indiana Ave., N.W. 

Washington, D.C. 20001 

Attn: D.C. Courts, Human 

Resources Division 

202-879-4205 

Offce of For information about health U.S. Offce of Personnel 

Personnel and life insurance Management, Retirement 

Management Operations Center 

(OPM) P.O. Box 45 

Boyers, PA 16017-0001 

724-794-2005 

Executive Offce For information about the D.C. Superior Court 

of the Courts administration and management 

of the District of Columbia 

Courts. Oversees all Court 

System divisions, while 

providing support generally to 

the District's judicial system and 

the two courts specifcally. 

500 Indiana Ave., N.W. 

Washington, D.C. 20001 

202-879-1700 
41

District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

Contact Area Address/Phone 

D.C. Commission 

on Disabilities 

and Tenure 

Makes fndings of facts, 

conclusions of law and 

decisions regarding involuntary 

disability retirement benefts 

D.C. Superior Courts51 

515 5th Street, N.W. 

Building A Room 312 

Washington, D.C. 20001 

202-727-1363 
42

District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

Glossary of Terms 

Active Judge means a judge employed by D.C. Courts receiving a salary and 

is not retired. 

Basic Salary means the annual salary you received as an active judge. 

Benefts Administrator means the Benefts Administrator of the Treasury 

Department or his or her designee. 

Child(ren) means: 

• an unmarried child under 18 years of age, including an adopted 

child, a stepchild or a recognized natural child. 

• an unmarried child regardless of age who is incapable of selfsupport because of a mental or physical disability that occurred 

before he or she reached age 18. 

• an unmarried child between 18 and 22 years of age who is a 

student regularly pursuing a full-time course of study or training in 

residence in a high school, trade school, technical or vocational 

institute, junior college, college, university or comparable 

recognized educational institution. 

For purposes of this plan, a child who is a student (as defned above) whose 

22nd birthday occurs before July 1 or after August 31 of a calendar year, 

is considered 22 years of age on the frst day of July after his or her 22nd 

birthday. 

A child will continue to be considered a student during a school term (of fve or 

fewer months) provided the child shows—to the satisfaction of the Secretary 

of the Treasury—that the child fully intends to continue his or her education at 

the same or different school during the school semester immediately after the 

break. 

Credited Service means military and civilian service performed by the 

judge that is otherwise creditable under §8332 of Title 5 of the United States 

Code (Civil Service Retirement System, including most service with the D.C. 

Government commencing before October 1, 1987, but does not include 

service under the Federal Employees Retirement System). Each month of 

credited service equals 1/12 of a year. 
43

District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

 

Deferred Retirement is the beneft a judge may elect to receive at a later 

date if he or she leaves the bench after at least 10 years of judicial service but 

before reaching the age at which he or she may begin receiving a retirement 

beneft. The eligibility requirements for a deferred retirement beneft are the 

same as those listed for regular and early retirement benefts. 

Disability Retirement is the retirement beneft a judge may voluntarily 

elect if he or she has at least fve years of service (including civilian service 

performed by the judge that is creditable under 5 U.S.C. §8332), if he or she 

has a mental or physical disability that is or is likely to become permanent and 

that prevents or seriously interferes with the performance of his or her judicial 

duties. 

Early Retirement is the reduced beneft a judge with fewer than 20 years of 

judicial service may elect to receive at any time between ages 55 and 60. The 

retirement salary that is based on judicial service is reduced by 1/12 of 1% for 

each month or a fraction of each month that the judge is under age 60 at the 

time the reduced retirement beneft payments begin. 

Final Basic Salary means the salary you received as a judge immediately 

before your retirement date. 

Former Spouse means a person whose marriage to an employee or retiree 

has been subject to a divorce, annulment, or legal separation resulting in a 

court order, except that with respect to an award of a survivor annuity, the term 

additionally means a living person: 

• who was married for at least nine months to an employee or retiree 

who performed at least 18 months of credited service in a position 

covered by the District of Columbia Judges’, Teachers’, or Police 

and Firefghters' Retirement Plans (D.C. Code § 1-529.03 (a)); and 

• whose marriage to the employee or retiree was terminated prior to 

the death of the employee or retiree. 

Judge means any judge (except Magistrate Judges) in the District of 

Columbia Court of Appeals or the Superior Court or any person with judicial 

service, including the Executive Offcer of the Courts. (See page 21). 

Judicial Service means service as a judge in the District of Columbia Court 

of Appeals, the Superior Court, or the former Juvenile Court of the District 

of Columbia, District of Columbia Tax Court, Police Court, Municipal Court, 

Municipal Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Court of General Sessions or 
44

District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

 

 

as the Executive Offcer of the Courts. Months and days of judicial service are 

included as a fractional part of a year. 

Involuntary Disability Retirement is the retirement beneft you may receive 

if determined by the Commission on Judicial Disabilities and Tenure that your 

disability is likely to become permanent and prevent or interfere with your 

judicial duties. There are no service requirements for this type of retirement 

beneft. 

Lump Sum Credit for Retirement means the unrefunded amount consisting 

of: 

• retirement deductions made from the basic salary of a judge; and 

• amounts deposited covering earlier judicial and other creditable 

service. 

Lump Sum Credit for Survivor Annunity means the unrefunded amount 

consisting of: 

• survivor beneft deductions made from the salary of an active or 

retired judge; and 

• amounts deposited for survivor beneft covering earlier judicial and 

other creditable service. 

Lump Sum Refund is the payout of contributions you have made from your 

account. 

Maximum Retirement Beneft is the cap on a retirement beneft of a judge. 

The maximum beneft cannot exceed 80% of the judge’s basic salary 

immediately prior to his or her date of retirement. 

Qualifed Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) means a qualifying court order 

issued by a court on or after March 16, 1989 that must state: 

• whether your former spouse is entitled to a survivor beneft or 

whether you must provide a survivor beneft for your former spouse; 

• your former spouse’s share of your beneft as a fxed-dollar amount 

or a percentage or a fraction of a retirement beneft; and 

• whether your former spouse should receive a payment directly from 

the Treasury Department. 
45

District of Columbia Judges’ Retirement Plan

 

 

Regular Retirement is the retirement beneft that is available to all judges with 

20 or more years of judicial service at age 50, or to judges with 10 or more 

years of judicial service at age 60. 

Retire and Retirement includes retirement, resignation, or failure to be 

recommissioned or reappointed upon the expiration of a commission. 

Retirement Beneft means the monthly sum to which a retired judge is entitled 

by law. 

Senior Judge means a retired judge employed as an active judge. 

Spouse is the husband or wife of a judge who has been married to the judge 

for at least two years or the parent of child(ren) by the marriage. 

Total Service means the total of years, months and days of judicial service 

and the years and months of credited service. 

Unexpended Contribution is the difference between the aggregate amount 

of retirement and survivor benefts paid and the total amount of retirement and 

survivor contributions.