If you die after you begin a service or disability retirement, your survivors receive benefits according to the retirement option you chose.
If you die while employed or while receiving temporary disability benefits, the benefits paid to your survivors depend on your age and service credit. These benefits are also payable to your survivors if you left TRS-covered employment but did not withdraw your contributions.
If you die before earning 10 years of service credit and before becoming eligible for retirement, your beneficiary receives your contributions, plus interest.
If you die after earning 10 years of service credit or after becoming eligible to retire, your survivors may choose between:
Surviving spouse benefits continue for the life of the spouse. Dependent survivor benefits continue as long as proof of dependency is maintained or until the dependent(s) reaches the age of majority. At that point, any remaining member contributions will be paid in a lump sum to the beneficiary.
If you have no surviving spouse or IRS-qualified dependents, your remaining contributions will be paid in a lump sum to your designated beneficiary.
An additional, one-time death benefit may also be payable to your beneficiary. Your beneficiary will receive $600 if you die while employed full-time in a TRS position or when eligible to receive temporary disability benefits. Your beneficiary will receive $400 if you die after ending TRS-covered employment with at least ten years of service credit or if you were eligible to retire.
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.
As an active member, you should keep the beneficiary designation in your TRS record up-to-date. If you marry or divorce, you should file a new beneficiary designation form, even if your beneficiary remains the same. If you fail to file a beneficiary designation form, DRS automatically pays your surviving spouse or, if none, your estate.
To change your beneficiary, you must submit a beneficiary designation form to DRS. Forms for this purpose are available from your payroll department or DRS.
At retirement, if you choose either the Maximum Benefit Option or the Option 1, you may name a trust, your estate, an organization, or a person as your beneficiary. However, if you choose a survivor benefit option at retirement, you must select a person as your beneficiary.
Once you retire you may change your benefit option and beneficiary only by returning to active membership, except in the following circumstances: