State Public Pensions in Rhode Island: when someone dies
A 4-step process for Employees' Retirement System of Rhode Island (ERSRI) after a death in Rhode Island.
OverviewWhen someone dies
Administering agency
Employees' Retirement System of Rhode Island (ERSRI)
Phone401-462-7600
WebsiteVisit website →
Authority
R.I. Gen. Laws 36-10-18, 36-10-21, 36-10-23, 36-10-24 (state employees and teachers); R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 45-21 (MERS municipal members)
Verified Jul 2026
Steps to take
- Identify whether the deceased was an ERSRI member (state employee, teacher, MERS municipal employee, MERS police or fire, correctional officer, state police, or judge).
- Report the death to ERSRI at 401-462-7600 so the member's pension payments stop.
- Confirm the beneficiary designation on file and, for a retiree, the payment option elected at retirement — that election controls whether an allowance continues to a survivor.
- File the survivor or death-benefit claim with the documents ERSRI requires. If no beneficiary was designated, the death benefit is payable to the member's estate, so the estate representative files it.
Frequently asked questions
Contact the Employees' Retirement System of Rhode Island at 401-462-7600 (50 Service Avenue, Warwick, RI 02886). ERSRI, administered by the Office of the General Treasurer, handles survivor and death-benefit claims for state employees, teachers, MERS municipal employees, MERS police and fire, correctional officers, state police, and judges.
It depends on the option elected at retirement. Under R.I. Gen. Laws 36-10-18, Option 1 continues the retiree's reduced allowance in full for the named survivor's life and Option 2 continues one-half of it. If the retiree elected no option, R.I. Gen. Laws 36-10-23(a) pays only the excess, if any, of the member's contributions over the allowance payments already received. Separately, R.I. Gen. Laws 36-10-23(b) pays a death benefit on any retired member's death — the amount accrued at retirement, reduced 25% each retirement anniversary until 25% remains, but never below $4,000.
Yes. Under R.I. Gen. Laws 36-10-21, the member's contributions are refunded without interest, and a member who died in employee status also generates an ordinary death benefit of $800 per completed year of total service — at least $4,000 and no more than $16,000. It is paid to the beneficiary named with the retirement board, or to the member's estate if none was named (R.I. Gen. Laws 36-10-24).
Sources
Data sourced from State Public Pensions in Rhode Island primary sources (7 pages reviewed). How we research.
Administering agency
Employees' Retirement System of Rhode Island (ERSRI)
Phone401-462-7600
WebsiteVisit website →
Authority
R.I. Gen. Laws 36-10-18, 36-10-21, 36-10-23, 36-10-24 (state employees and teachers); R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 45-21 (MERS municipal members)
Verified Jul 2026