For almost a century, lifeguards in certain Jersey Shore towns who serve at least 20 years are entitled to a pension after turning 45 years old. It’s a rare benefit for seasonal workers, and it’s been in place since 1928 under the state’s Lifeguard Pension Fund Law.

But today those pensions are severely neglected, according to a new report from the state comptroller’s office, and the office is recommending the state’s mandate should be discontinued.

Under the law, individual municipalities designated as “fourth-class cities” are supposed to manage the pensions for the lifeguards they employ. There are 11 such municipalities across Monmouth, Atlantic and Cape May counties: Long Branch, Asbury Park, Brigantine, Atlantic City, Ventnor City, Margate City, Sea Isle City, Ocean City, North Wildwood, Wildwood and Cape May. Longport Borough also created its own lifeguard pension program in the 1980s.

But the comptrollers’ report said that six towns combined have $34 million in deficits for the pension plans, and the other six “likely face liabilities in the millions, if not tens of millions.” The second group includes Asbury Park and Long Branch, both of which never even established lifeguards pensions despite being mandated to do so.

Kevin Walsh, New Jersey’s acting state comptroller, said the time has come for state lawmakers to abolish lifeguard pensions.

“The state needs to scrap the pension mandate,” Walsh said. “It saddles a small number of municipalities with a significant financial burden, and it just doesn’t make sense to give lifelong pensions for seasonal jobs.”