Income supplements for retirees

“The assistance for my mother came just as her savings had run out. The hand of the Lord could not be more discernible.”

This assistance raises to certain levels the monthly income of ministers and employees who have served the Church for many years at modest wages. Income Supplements run for the duration of retired church workers' lives, unless their financial circumstances change.

Who's eligible

To qualify, retired members or surviving spouses must

• be 65 years or older;
• be receiving a retirement or survivor's pension from the Benefits Plan;
• have 20 or more years of service to the PC(USA) and a commensurate period of participation in the Pension Plan*; and
• have a total annual income of less than $32,505 as a single person or less than $38,415 as a married couple.

Amount

The amount of support you may receive depends on your total income from all sources, a target income based on your years of Pension Plan participation and marital status, and your Social Security participation.

Target income

Your years of Pension Plan participation and marital status determine your target (maximum annual) income, as follows: 

The Board assumes you have secured alternate protection if you are not receiving Social Security benefits.

*Partial supplementation may be available for those with at least 10 but fewer than 20 years of service to the PC(USA), during which they participated in the Pension Plan.

How to receive a grant

To request to receive Income Supplements:

• Complete, sign, and submit the confidential Income/Housing Supplement Application form to the Board of Pensions at the address on the form.
• You will be notified in writing of the results of the application's evaluation, typically within 30 days.