State Public Pensions in Arkansas

State Public Pensions in Arkansas: key facts

Systems

Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System (APERS) for state and local government workers; Arkansas Teacher Retirement System (ATRS) for public educators.

APERS survivor annuity

If a vested member (at least five years of active service) dies before retirement, a survivor annuity may be payable to a spouse married to the member for at least six months before death, to dependent children (through death, marriage, or age 23), or — if there is no spouse or child — to parents who depended on the member for at least 50% of their support.

APERS if no survivor qualifies

If no one qualifies for a survivor annuity, APERS refunds the member's employee contributions to the named beneficiary, or to the member's estate if no beneficiary was named.

ATRS lump-sum death benefit

An active member (or T-DROP participant) or retiree with at least ten years of actual service credit qualifies. The benefit is $10,000 for ten or more years of contributory service, $6,667 for ten or more years of only noncontributory service, and prorated for mixed service with fewer than ten contributory years.

ATRS survivor benefits

Under Ark. Code Ann. 24-7-710, an active member with at least five years of actual credited service leaves survivor benefits to a spouse married to the member for at least one year before death. Immediate survivor benefits start the month after death only if ATRS receives the survivor application within six full calendar months of the death; otherwise they begin the month the application arrives.

Member services

APERS 501-682-7800 (toll-free 800-682-7377); ATRS 501-682-1517.

Governing law: Ark. Code Ann. 24-7-710 (ATRS survivor benefits)