Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS)

Maine · Public Pensions

mainepers.org

State Public Pensions in Maine

The Maine Public Employees Retirement System administers retirement benefits for State of Maine employees, teachers, and participating local district employees. Survivor and death benefits depend on whether the member was active or already retired and the payment option they elected.

Steps to takeKey facts

Steps to take when someone dies

1
Identify whether the deceased was a member of MainePERS as a state employee, teacher, judge, legislator, or participating local district (PLD) employee.
2
Notify MainePERS of the death online through the notification-of-death form, by phone at 1-800-451-9800, or by mail, with the member's full name, date of birth, and date of death, plus contact information for you, the spouse, and the children.
3
Provide the supporting documents MainePERS requests.
4
It may ask for a marriage certificate, divorce decree, Social Security numbers, death certificate, birth or adoption paperwork, personal representative documentation, an estate tax identification number, or trust documentation.
5
Confirm the beneficiary designation on file and which death benefit the beneficiaries will select. Only one may be paid.

Required Documents

  • Marriage certificate: when MainePERS requests it
  • Divorce decree: when MainePERS requests it
  • Social Security numbers: when MainePERS requests them
  • Death certificate: when MainePERS requests it
  • Birth or adoption paperwork: when MainePERS requests it
  • Personal representative documentation: when MainePERS requests it
  • Estate tax identification number: when MainePERS requests it
  • Trust documentation: when MainePERS requests it

State Public Pensions in Maine: key facts

What Maine says5

Reporting a death

A death is reported to MainePERS online through its notification-of-death form, by phone, or by mail to MainePERS Survivor Benefits.1

Reporting promptly stops benefits in a timely manner and helps prevent overpayments.1

Death after retirement

A continuing benefit is paid to a beneficiary only if the retiree elected one of the reduced payment options (Options 1-8).2

The Full Benefit option pays the retiree the highest monthly benefit but nothing to a beneficiary. All benefits stop effective the first of the month following the retiree's death.2

Death before retirement

MainePERS Form CL-0722-A lets the beneficiaries select one, and no more than one, of: a refund of the member's contributions and allowable interest; a reduced monthly retirement allowance (Automatic Option 2); or the statutory Survivor Benefit.3

Automatic Option 2 is available if the member was active, a disability retiree, or had met retirement eligibility but had not yet retired. The Survivor Benefit is paid only to a spouse, dependent children, parents, or other designated beneficiaries.3

Line-of-duty death

Where a member's death before retirement was due to a work-incurred illness or injury, the applicable accidental death benefits may be paid instead.3

Who receives the benefit

Death benefits are paid according to the valid beneficiary designation on file. Without one, 5 M.R.S. 17953 pays the first of these living at the member's death: surviving spouse; child or children regardless of age; the older parent; or the member's estate.4

Governing law: 5 M.R.S. 17953 (death before service retirement)

Retirement systems1

Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS)

State employees and teachers (the State Employee and Teacher Plan), participating local district (PLD) employees, legislators and judges5

Phone: 1-800-451-9800

Sources5

  1. 1.Notification of Death (MainePERS)
  2. 2.Choosing a Benefit Payment Option (MainePERS, Rev. 3/25)
  3. 3.Form CL-0722-A, Information Regarding Pension Beneficiary Designation for Pre-Retirement Death Benefits (MainePERS, Rev. 11/24)
  4. 4.5 M.R.S. §17953, Death before service retirement
  5. 5.Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS)

Maine public pension benefits

Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS)

Report a death

1-207-512-3100

Mailing address

MainePERS, Survivor Benefits, P.O. Box 349, Augusta, ME 04332
Verified Aug 2026

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