If you die after you begin a service or disability retirement, your survivors may be eligible to receive a defined benefit depending upon the retirement option you chose (see “What are my benefit options?”).
If you die before you retire, your surviving spouse, or if none, the guardian of your minor children, will receive a benefit calculated as if you had:
If your spouse dies while receiving a survivor’s retirement benefit and leaves a minor child or children, the children will continue to receive the benefit that was paid to your spouse. The benefit will be shared equally among the children and paid until they reach 18 years of age.
If an active member or disability retiree dies as a result of injuries sustained in the course of employment or if the death resulted from an occupational disease or infection that arose naturally and proximately out of their covered employment, and the Department of Labor and Industries has determined eligibility for the payment, DRS will pay a $150,000 death benefit to the member’s beneficiary.
If an active member or disability retiree dies as a result of injuries sustained in the line of duty as a public safety officer, ongoing benefits received by the retiree’s survivors may qualify for non-taxable status under federal and state law. Eligibility to receive benefit tax exemption will be determined by DRS.
If you die before initiating any payment plan from your defined contribution account, your beneficiary has the right to:
For more information about taking payment of Plan 3 defined contribution funds, see the publication Plan 3 Request for Payment of Defined Contribtuion Funds.
plan. Beneficiaries who are not spouses cannot roll over defined contribution funds; they must take payment of the funds.If you die after initiating payment of your defined contribution account and you still have money in the account, your beneficiary should contact DRS to facilitate payment of the remainder of the funds. If retirement payments are derived from an annuity, the payments continue or stop based on the terms of the annuity.
You should keep your beneficiary designation record up-to-date with DRS. The Beneficiary Designation Form, which is available online, from your employer, and from DRS, must be mailed to DRS. If you fail to file a Beneficiary Designation Form, DRS pays your surviving spouse or, if none, your estate.
If you marry or divorce prior to retirement, file a new Beneficiary Designation Form, even if your beneficiary remains the same. However, you should be aware that an ex-spouse may have a right to a portion of your benefits under certain circumstances (“Taxation and legal orders”).
At retirement, if you choose an Option 1 benefit payment, you may name a trust, your estate, an organization, or a person as your beneficiary. However, if you choose Option 2, 3, or 4, you must select a person as your beneficiary.