State Public Pensions in Hawaii
The State of Hawaii Employees' Retirement System is the defined-benefit pension system for state and county employees, including teachers, professors, police officers, firefighters, judiciary employees, judges, and elected officials. Survivor and death benefits depend on the member's plan, the beneficiary on file, and the retirement option elected.
Steps to take when someone dies
Required Documents
- Original death certificate
- Death-claim forms: sent by ERS to the beneficiary after the death is reported. Including tax and direct-deposit forms.
- Additional estate-payment forms: if a payment is made to an estate rather than to a named beneficiary
Timeline
Death payments are processed within 1-2 months for a retiree, beneficiary, or alternate payee, and generally within 4-6 weeks for an active or inactive member, after all required forms are received.
State Public Pensions in Hawaii: key facts
What Hawaii says4
- Reporting a death
Call ERS with the deceased's full name, Social Security number, status, date of death, and a contact person.1
- Documents to claim
An original death certificate plus the death-claim forms ERS sends to the beneficiary, including tax and direct-deposit forms.1
ERS states that any payment made to an estate rather than to a named beneficiary requires additional forms beyond the standard death-claim packet.1, 2
- Health coverage and life insurance
ERS does not administer health or life insurance. A surviving spouse and dependent children may be entitled to family health coverage and life insurance through the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund (EUTF).1
Governing law: Haw. Rev. Stat. Chapter 88; Haw. Admin. R. Title 6, Chapters 20-29 and 40
Retirement systems1
- State of Hawaii Employees' Retirement System (ERS)
Contributory, Noncontributory, and Hybrid members of the State, the City and County of Honolulu, and the counties of Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai3, 1
Phone: 1-808-586-1735
Other offices involved1
- Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund (EUTF)
Family health coverage and life insurance for a surviving spouse and dependent children1
Phone: 1-808-586-7390
Hawaii public pension benefits
State of Hawaii Employees' Retirement System (ERS)
Phone
Website
Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in Hawaii
Free calculators and checklists for planning or settling an estate in Hawaii: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay, and inheritance taxes.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in Hawaii: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 90 daysHRS § 560:3-706Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 4 monthsHRS §§ 560:3-801, 560:3-803, 560:3-805, 560:3-806 (am L 2023, c 158; § 3-801 am L 2024, c 7)Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 6 months to 9 months.
Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?
Hawaii automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceHRS § 560:2-804Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.
Who Inherits Without a Will?
Without a will in Hawaii, a surviving spouse takes the entire estateHRS § 560:2-102Verified Oct 21, 2026View source when every child of either spouse is a child of both, and descendants divide what passes to them per capita at each generationHRS § 560:2-106Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
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