State Public Pensions in North Carolina

Member portal

Members manage their account through ORBIT.¹

Reporting a death

A death is reported through the Retirement Systems Division's online reporting form or by telephone, with the member's name, Social Security or member ID number, and date of death.²

Death after retirement

If the retiree elected a survivor option (Option 2, 3, 6-2, or 6-3), the survivor beneficiary receives a monthly lifetime benefit.³

Under the Guaranteed Refund, any contributions and interest not yet paid out go in a lump sum to another beneficiary. A retiree who enrolled in the optional $10,000 Contributory Death Benefit adds a $10,000 lump sum.³

Death before retirement

Under TSERS, the beneficiary receives a return of the member's contributions plus interest. If the member died in active service after one year as a contributing member, a lump-sum death benefit of the highest 12 consecutive months of salary in the 24 months before death is also paid, between $25,000 and $50,000.⁴

Under TSERS, a single eligible beneficiary may instead take a monthly Survivor's Alternate Benefit if the member had 20 years of creditable service, or was 60 with five years of service.⁴

Payments after the date of death

The member is due a benefit payment for the month of death. Checks for the months after the death are not to be cashed: state retirement law requires reimbursement, and survivors are not paid anything due until the reimbursement is made.²

Uncashed checks are mailed back to the Death Benefits office of the N.C. Department of State Treasurer.²

The deceased retiree's legal representative is entitled to a full check for the month of death. Fraudulently receiving a deceased retiree's benefit is a Class 1 misdemeanor.³

Governing law: N.C.G.S. Chapter 135 (TSERS); N.C.G.S. Chapter 128, Article 3 (LGERS)

Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System (TSERS)

teachers and state employees¹

Local Governmental Employees' Retirement System (LGERS)

employees of counties, cities and towns¹

Consolidated Judicial Retirement System

Legislative Retirement System

Firefighters' and Rescue Squad Workers' Pension Fund

1. 1.North Carolina Retirement Systems (Department of State Treasurer)
2. 2.Member Death (North Carolina Retirement Systems)
3. 3.Benefits for Survivors (North Carolina Retirement Systems)
4. 4.TSERS Death Benefits (Active) (North Carolina Retirement Systems)