Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans

The Company provides defined benefit pension and other postretirement plans to certain employees. Net periodic pension and other postretirement benefit cost for the plans included the following:



	Three months ended March 31,
	Pension						Other Postretirement
	2020		2019		2020		2019

Service cost	$	2,170	$	2,000	$	64	$	61
Interest cost *	1,933		2,301		140		180
Expected return on plan assets *	(2,232)		(2,596)		—		—
Amortization:
Prior service cost	(47)		(46)		(23)		(49)
Net actuarial loss (gain) *	2,386		1,100		—		(15)
Net benefit cost	$	4,210	$	2,759	$	181	$	177


	Six months ended March 31,
	Pension						Other Postretirement
	2020		2019		2020		2019

Service cost	$	4,340	$	4,000	$	128	$	122
Interest cost *	3,866		4,602		280		360
Expected return on plan assets *	(4,464)		(5,192)		—		—
Amortization:
Prior service cost	(94)		(92)		(46)		(98)
Net actuarial loss (gain) *	4,773		2,161		—		(30)
Net benefit cost	$	8,421	$	5,479	$	362	$	354

^*Non-service components of pension and postretirement expense are included in other income (deductions), net.

Benefit payments under the Company's principal retirement plan are made from plan assets, while benefit payments under the postretirement benefit plan are made from the Company's operating funds. In response to coronavirus disease 2019 ("COVID-19"), the federal government passed a modified relief bill, which provides additional funding measures associated with IRS regulations. In accordance with this bill, the Company is no longer required to make contributions for fiscal 2020 to its principal retirement plan.

Note 11. Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans (continued)

Contributions made and anticipated for fiscal year 2020 are as follows:


Contributions	Pension		Other Postretirement

Contributions during the six months ended March 31, 2020:

Supplemental retirement plan	$	382	$	—
Other postretirement plan	—		457

Additional contributions expected in fiscal 2020:

Supplemental retirement plan	$	500	$	—
Other postretirement plan	—		532