State Public Pensions in Oklahoma

If an OPERS member was vested, eligible to vest, or eligible to retire at death, the legal surviving spouse is entitled to a survivor benefit and is offered Option B survivor benefits.¹

The OPERS survivor benefit is payable no earlier than the date the member would have met normal or early retirement requirements. If no surviving spouse benefit is payable, a one-time lump sum equal to the member's accumulated contributions is distributed among the primary beneficiaries.¹

TRS pays a survivor's benefit of $18,000 on an active account, at no cost to the member. It is paid in equal shares to the designated beneficiaries along with the member's account balance and applicable interest.²

If an active TRS member qualified for retirement at death, had ten or more years of creditable service, and named one primary beneficiary for both the account balance and the $18,000 survivor benefit, the sole beneficiary may forego the lump sums and retire as the Option 2 annuitant for a lifetime monthly benefit.²

OPERS pays a $5,000 lump-sum death benefit to a primary beneficiary on the death of a retiree, but not on the death of a joint annuitant. It is not insurance and is taxable to the beneficiary.¹

Any continuing OPERS benefit is paid under the retirement option elected. Where the retiree chose the Maximum Retirement Benefit Option, any excess of accumulated contributions over benefits already received is paid to the beneficiaries.¹

On a retired TRS account, TRS pays a survivor's benefit of $5,000 at no cost to the member, along with the provisions of the retirement option elected.^{3, 2}

A TRS beneficiary form is valid only if it was on file with TRS before the member died.²

Beneficiaries of either system may assign all or part of a death benefit to a licensed funeral home.²

When an OPERS retiree dies, the final monthly benefit payment follows the beneficiary designation.¹

An OPERS death benefit not rolled over is subject to mandatory withholding: 20% federal and 4.5% Oklahoma for an individual or trust beneficiary, and 10% federal and 4.5% Oklahoma for a non-individual beneficiary such as an estate, funeral home or charity.¹

For a non-resident alien beneficiary, OPERS withholds 30% federal from a death benefit not rolled over.¹

State and local government employees, elected officials, and hazardous-duty employees^{4, 5}

Justices and judges; administered by OPERS⁴

Public educators⁶