State Public Pensions in District of Columbia

Use the DCRB "Report a Death" online form at dcrb.dc.gov, or call the DCRB Member Services Center.^{1, 2, 3}

For a police officer or firefighter, the survivor must also contact the Police and Firefighters' Retirement Relief Board (PFRRB), unless the member was receiving or eligible for a deferred retirement benefit, in which case only DCRB needs to be contacted.²

A teacher who dies before retiring leaves a surviving spouse the greater of 55% of the unreduced annuity earned at the time of death or a statutory minimum.³

For a teacher who dies after retiring, the survivor annuity follows the retirement option elected: a Reduced Annuity with Maximum Survivor Annuity pays the survivor 55% of the retiree's unreduced annuity, a Reduced Annuity with Partial Survivor Annuity pays up to 54%, and an Unreduced Annuity pays no survivor benefit.^{3, 2}

A surviving spouse's benefit continues for life but stops on remarriage before age 60.^{3, 2}

For the District's 401(a) and 457(b) accounts, the designated beneficiary is entitled to any assets remaining in the account, and DCHR states the designation keeps those assets out of the costs and delays of probate and away from creditor claims.⁴

If all primary beneficiaries of a 401(a) or 457(b) account have died, the contingent beneficiaries are paid.⁴

Eligible children can receive a separate DCRB child benefit.³

All payments received from DCRB after the annuitant's date of death must be returned. If a payment came by check, write the date of death on the check and return it to the address on the envelope; if by direct deposit, inform the financial institution of the death.¹

A teacher's survivor will not receive survivor payments until any post-death payments are returned.³

For a police officer or firefighter, the Police and Firefighters' Retirement Relief Board provides the survivor-benefit forms and application instructions and determines eligibility.²

DC police officers and firefighters; administered by DCRB^{5, 2}

DC public school teachers; administered by DCRB^{5, 1}

DC employees other than police, firefighters and teachers first hired on or after October 1, 1987, after one year of creditable service^{6, 4}

DC employees first hired before October 1, 1987; annuities paid by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management^{7, 8}

DC Superior Court and Court of Appeals judges; administered by the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, not by DCRB⁹

Survivor-benefit forms, application instructions and eligibility for police and firefighter survivors²

401(a) and 457(b) account and beneficiary records, at dcretire.voya.com⁴