EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT PLANS

The components of net periodic benefit cost (income) for Employers Mutual’s pension and postretirement benefit plans is as follows:



	Three months ended March 31,
($ in thousands)	2019			2018
Pension plans:
Service cost	$	4,071		$	4,126
Interest cost	2,949			2,665
Expected return on plan assets	(5,440		)	(5,978		)
Amortization of net actuarial loss	598			125
Net periodic pension benefit cost	$	2,178		$	938

Postretirement benefit plans:
Service cost	$	353		$	368
Interest cost	546			521
Expected return on plan assets	(1,095		)	(1,204		)
Amortization of net actuarial loss	245			234
Amortization of prior service credit	(2,285		)	(2,782		)
Net periodic postretirement benefit income	$	(2,236	)	$	(2,863	)

Net periodic pension benefit cost allocated to the Company amounted to $653,000 and $282,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Net periodic postretirement benefit income allocated to the Company amounted to $636,000 and $806,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The service cost component of net periodic pension and postretirement benefit cost/(income) allocated to the Company is included in the income statement line titled "other underwriting expenses". The other components of net periodic pension and postretirement benefit cost/(income) are included in the income statement line titled "other income".

Employers Mutual plans to contribute approximately $7.0 million to the pension plan in 2019. No contributions are expected to be made to the Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association (VEBA) trust in 2019.