Reporting life events

​Qualifying life events must be reported to the Board within a set number of days of the event for you and/or eligible family members to be able to elect or change benefits.

​If a qualifying life event is not reported within the specified number of days noted below, you and/or your eligible family members will not be able to make benefits changes until the next annual enrollment.

If you are

  • an active plan member, log on to Benefits Connect to report a change within 60 days of the event. From the home page, choose Life Events under About Me and follow the prompts to report a qualifying life event. You will receive an email requesting any required supporting documentation (e.g., marriage certificate, when adding a spouse, birth certificate, when adding a child). When the documentation is approved, you will receive an email advising you to return to Benefits Connect with the option to elect/change benefits for yourself and eligible family members and update beneficiaries, if applicable. 
  • a retiree, survivor, or inactive member, use the Life Event Change form to report a change within 60 days of the event.
  • an employer, report a change in service within 30 days, employment status within 30 days, or salary within 60 days through Benefits Connect. If the change results in an opportunity to update benefits elections, the employee will be notified.

Even if there's no corresponding change in benefits, it's important that you maintain up-to-date information with the Board.

Other considerations

Review and update your beneficiary designations and allocations periodically, so that salary continuation, term life, and/or supplemental death benefits (if available) are paid as intended. Visit Benefits Connect, click My Benefits, then Death to view beneficiaries, change allocations, and add or remove beneficiaries. 

If you participate in the Retirement Savings Plan of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (RSP), consider reviewing your contributions, beneficiaries, and investment choices as a result of a qualifying life event.   

  • To change your contribution amount, complete and return a Salary Deferral Agreement form to your employer.
  • Members can go to Benefits Connect and choose Fidelity under Service Providers, or go to Fidelity's website for investment and/or beneficiary updates. 
  • All participants can go to the Fidelity website to make investment and/or beneficiary updates.   

Update tax withholding

You may want to revise your federal tax withholding allowances by submitting an updated IRS Form W-4 to your employer as the result of a qualifying life event.