State Public Pensions in Oregon

Reporting a death

Report the death to PERS Member Services as soon as possible so benefit payments stop, giving the date of death, the city and state where the death occurred, and the beneficiary's contact information.¹

Death before retirement

A Tier One or Tier Two beneficiary chooses among a single lump-sum payment of the member account balance plus any employer-matching death benefit, a lifetime monthly benefit, or a lump sum plus a lifetime monthly benefit funded by the employer match.²

For Tier One and Tier Two members who die on or after January 1, 2024, with an account eligible for the employer-matching death benefit, a surviving spouse who is sole beneficiary may elect a fourth option, the Optional Spouse Death Benefit: a monthly benefit for life, paid as a lump sum if under $200 a month.²

An OPSRP pre-retirement death benefit is paid to the member's spouse or to any other person who is constitutionally required to be treated in the same manner as a spouse. If the monthly amount would be under $200, it is paid as a single lump sum.³

Death after retirement

The continuing benefit depends on the payment option the member elected at retirement. Some options provide a continuing monthly benefit to a beneficiary, while a single-life option may end at the retiree's death.¹

Who receives the benefit

If PERS holds no valid Tier One or Tier Two beneficiary designation, ORS 238.390(2) sets the order: the member's surviving spouse (or a person constitutionally required to be treated the same as a spouse), then the surviving children in equal shares, then the member's estate.^{2, 4}

When the benefit is payable to the member's estate, ORS 238.390(2)(b) has PERS pay the person who filed a simple estate affidavit under ORS 114.515, so long as the estate stays within the small-estate limits of ORS 114.510 after counting the PERS money. Full probate is not required.⁴

ORS 238A.410(3) applies the same order to the Individual Account Program, and ORS 238A.410(4) the same simple estate affidavit rule.⁵

PERS keeps an Unclaimed Deceased Member Benefits List of deceased members whose benefits are still payable but whose beneficiaries it could not locate. For privacy, the list names only the deceased member.⁶

Payments after the date of death

Payments issued after the date of death must be returned, and beneficiaries may be invoiced for overpayments.¹

Filing window

PERS must receive a surviving spouse's Optional Spouse Death Benefit election no later than 60 days after the date of the estimate PERS sends the spouse.²

Governing law: ORS 238.390(2); ORS 238A.410(3)

Report the death to PERS

as soon as possible after the death; payments issued after the date of death must be returned, and beneficiaries may be invoiced for overpayments¹

Optional Spouse Death Benefit election received by PERS

within 60 days of the date of the estimate PERS sends the spouse²

Tier One

Members whose first PERS-covered employment was on or before December 31, 1995⁷

Tier Two

Members first employed January 1, 1996 through August 28, 2003⁷

Oregon Public Service Retirement Plan (OPSRP)

Members who started after August 28, 2003⁷

Individual Account Program (IAP)

Nearly every current member, as a separate account with its own death benefit⁷

Oregon Savings Growth Plan

A separate list of deceased participants with a balance; notified separately if the member participated^{6, 1}

Phone: 1-888-320-7377 (option 2)

PERS Health Insurance Program

Notified separately of the death if the member participated¹

1. 1.When a Member Dies (Oregon Public Employees Retirement System)
2. 2.Member Death, Tier One/Tier Two (Oregon Public Employees Retirement System)
3. 3.Member Death, OPSRP (Oregon Public Employees Retirement System)
4. 4.Oregon Revised Statutes chapter 238
5. 5.Oregon Revised Statutes chapter 238A
6. 6.Unclaimed Deceased Member Benefits (Oregon Public Employees Retirement System)
7. 7.What Plan Am I In? (Oregon Public Employees Retirement System)