State Public Pensions (Public Pensions)

State and local government employees — including teachers, police, firefighters, and other public workers — participate in public retirement systems run by each state. When a member or retiree dies, the system pays survivor or death benefits based on the member's beneficiary designation and the benefit option they elected at retirement. Benefits may include a continuing monthly survivor annuity, a lump-sum payment of contributions, or both. The survivor or beneficiary contacts the retirement system to report the death and file a claim. The systems, benefit options, and claim process are set by each state.

Death notification

The surviving spouse, named beneficiary, or estate representative reports the death to the state retirement system as soon as possible. For a retiree, the benefit that continues depends on the payment option the member elected at retirement. For an active member who dies before retirement, a death benefit or survivor annuity may be payable to the designated beneficiary. The system stops the member's pension payments and calculates any survivor benefit owed.

Deadline: As soon as possible after death