Usually, you fill out the required paperwork and submit it to the plan administrator, who then can tell you what your benefits will be and when they will start. All retirement plans can have beneficiaries.Generally shall be considered a beneficiary under the plan for purposes of. ERISA. How do I designate a beneficiary, and who will receive a distribution if I die before retirement? Spousal Consent Is Always Required When Changing a Beneficiary. This publication gives basic information about different types of retirement plans and options that may be available to you if you are getting a divorce. The. Your plan's name or number, which can be found in the upper right corner of correspondence from PBGC. Seattle City Employees' Retirement System will pay the alternate payee directly. Retirement accounts aren't considered part of an estate provided the account holder ensures that beneficiary designations are properly filled out. Certain retirement plans require consent when taking distributions or changing beneficiary designations.