State Public Pensions in Tennessee

Members manage their account through RetireReadyTN and MyTCRS.com.¹

Reporting the death to TCRS is the responsibility of the surviving family member or beneficiary.²

The death can be reported to a RetireReadyTN Survivor Benefits representative by phone or email, or on the Deceased Member Official Notification form (TR-0033), which asks for a photocopy of the death certificate.^{2, 3}

What continues depends on the option the member elected at retirement. Under a Single Life Annuity option the monthly benefit ceases at death, and any remaining balance of the member's accumulated contributions and interest is paid to the beneficiary in a lump sum.⁴

Under one of the four Joint and Survivor plans, a monthly benefit continues to the designated beneficiary.⁴

What is paid when a member dies before retiring depends on the member's age, service, employment status, and who was named beneficiary.¹

A contributory member who dies in service (within 150 days of the last paid day of work) may leave a double lump sum: accumulated contributions with interest plus a matching employer amount. With 10 years of service, a spouse named as beneficiary may instead receive a lifetime monthly annuity.⁴

A member who dies out of service may leave a single lump sum of accumulated contributions and interest.⁴

State employees, teachers, and participating local government workers¹