State Public Pensions in Arizona: when someone dies
A 4-step process for Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) and Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS) after a death in Arizona.
Administering agency
Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) and Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS)
Authority
A.R.S. §§ 38-762, 38-763
Steps to take
- Identify whether the deceased was a member of ASRS or PSPRS.
- Report the death to the system so the member's pension payments stop (ASRS at 602-240-2000, 520-239-3100, or 800-621-3778; PSPRS at (602) 255-5575).
- Confirm the beneficiary designation on file; ASRS mails a benefit packet to the primary beneficiary, and PSPRS routes the claim through the employer's Local Board, which provides the documentation and meets to approve the benefits.
- File the survivor or death-benefit claim with the documents required — for ASRS, an original certified death certificate, a copy of the beneficiary's Social Security card, and a notarized application to claim survivor benefits.
Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) and Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS)
Phone: 602-240-2000
Visit the agency website →Frequently asked questions
Contact the Arizona State Retirement System at 602-240-2000 in the Phoenix metro area, 520-239-3100 in the Tucson metro area, or 800-621-3778 elsewhere for most state, school, and local government employees. For police, firefighters, and other public-safety members, contact the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System at (602) 255-5575 or (877) 925-5575.
Under A.R.S. § 38-762, the designated beneficiary of an ASRS member who dies before retirement receives a survivor benefit equal to the member's and the employer's contributions plus interest — which ASRS describes as double the member's contributions — along with any service-purchase payments. The beneficiary can take it as a lump sum or elect the actuarial equivalent as monthly income for life.
For a PSPRS defined-benefit member, a survivor benefit is paid to an eligible spouse and eligible children — a Spouse's Pension for life plus a Child's Pension of up to 20% in equal shares. If there is no eligible spouse or child, the balance of the member's accumulated contributions is paid to the named beneficiary; if that beneficiary does not apply within twelve months of the death, the Local Board may pay the member's nearest of kin or the estate. The employer's Local Board provides documentation to beneficiaries and approves the benefits.
Sources
Data sourced from State Public Pensions in Arizona primary sources (4 pages reviewed). How we research.
Administering agency
Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) and Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS)
Authority
A.R.S. §§ 38-762, 38-763