State Public Pensions in Minnesota

Each system handles its own survivor and death-benefit claims, so the death is reported to the system the person belonged to: MSRS for state employees, PERA for local government employees, and TRA for public educators.^{1, 2, 3}

MSRS asks the person reporting a death for the participant or retiree's name, address, Social Security number, date of birth and date of death, their relationship to the deceased, and contact information for the survivor or beneficiary.¹

PERA asks the person reporting a death for the same information as MSRS, less the Social Security number.²

When a retiree dies, a surviving spouse or named survivor may receive a continuing monthly benefit based on the annuity option the member elected at retirement.^{1, 2}

The continuing benefit is often a percentage of the member's payment, and nothing continues if a single-life option was elected.^{1, 2}

When a vested member dies before retiring, the surviving spouse may elect a lifetime or term-certain annuity. PERA offers term-certain options of 10, 15 or 20 years, and TRA offers five, 10, 15 or 20 years.^{2, 3}

Otherwise the member's accumulated contributions plus interest are paid as a lump sum to the named beneficiary or, if there is none, to the estate.^{2, 3}

PERA forfeits the member's contributions and interest if it does not receive the pre-retirement death paperwork within five years after the death.²

As soon as possible after the death^{1, 2}

Five years after the death; PERA forfeits the member's contributions and interest²

State employees⁴

Local government employees²

Public educators³