State Public Pensions in Connecticut

A SERS member's death is reported to the Office of the State Comptroller Retirement Payroll Unit by phone or email, or through the Comptroller's online Report a Death form.¹

A CTRB member's death is reported by mailing the Reporting the Death of a CTRB Member form to CTRB with a photocopy of the death certificate.²

What continues after a SERS retiree's death depends on the survivor option elected at retirement: a designated survivor receives a pension equal to either 50% or 100% of the member's reduced benefit, for the survivor's lifetime.³

A SERS member who took no survivor option leaves no continuing pension, and payments stop at the retiree's death.³

If a teacher dies in active service, CTRB pays monthly benefits to statutory survivors (a spouse, a minor child under 18, or both): $300 for each minor or disabled child, and $300 to $600 to a surviving spouse ($300 plus $25 for each year of service over twelve), up to a $1,500 family maximum.⁴

If the teacher had met the age and service requirements for retirement, a surviving spouse who is the designated beneficiary may instead choose a monthly Plan D 100% co-participant benefit or a lump-sum refund of the account balances.⁴

When a teacher dies in active service, CTRB pays a one-time lump-sum death payment of up to $2,000, depending on length of service, to the surviving spouse, or if there is none, to the person who paid the funeral expenses.⁴

A SERS retiree's eligibility ends on the day of death. A prorated portion of the month-of-death payment is due back to the state if it was already issued, or due to the retiree's estate if it was not.¹

The final SERS payment is made payable to the estate of the retiree.¹

State government workers; administered by the Office of the State Comptroller^{5, 1}

Public school teachers⁶

The Affidavit in lieu of Administration and transfer decree when a deceased retiree has no executor¹