State Public Pensions in South Dakota

SDRS asks the family or representative to contact it as soon as possible with the member's full name and date of birth, the date of death, a copy of the death certificate, and contact information for the surviving spouse or designated beneficiary.¹

For a Foundation member (joined before July 1, 2017), an eligible surviving spouse automatically receives a lifetime benefit equal to 60 percent of the benefit being paid to the member at the time of death, with annual cost-of-living adjustments.^{2, 3, 4}

For a Generational member (joined on or after July 1, 2017), the normal retirement benefit is single-life and stops at death unless the member elected a 60 percent or 100 percent Joint & Survivor benefit at retirement; that percentage then continues for the spouse's lifetime with annual cost-of-living adjustments.^{2, 3, 4}

For a Generational member, a surviving spouse qualifies only if the member elected a Joint & Survivor option at retirement.⁵

If there is no eligible spouse and no eligible dependent children, SDRS pays a lump-sum refund of the member's account to the designated beneficiaries on file.⁵

The spouse must be married to the member at the time of death.^{5, 6}

The spouse must also have been married to the member before the member's retirement date and for at least 12 months before the death.⁵

If the member (and the spouse, where a spouse benefit applies) dies before the member's accumulated contributions have been paid out, the named beneficiary or the estate receives any remaining balance.^{2, 3, 4}

Payments on behalf of a minor child must go to the child's custodian or conservator. SDRS cannot pay a minor directly, and a surviving parent is not a custodian by default.¹

If the member dies while actively participating, a family benefit is payable for eligible dependent children under age 19.^{2, 3, 4}

A surviving spouse benefit then becomes payable when the spouse reaches age 65 for a Foundation member (age 67 for a Generational member), and the spouse may elect to start it as early as age 55 (age 57 for a Generational member) at a reduced rate.^{2, 3, 4}

as soon as possible after the member's death¹

Participating state and local government and school employees (Foundation members joined before July 1, 2017; Generational on or after)⁷