State Public Pensions in Vermont

Reporting a death

The Office of the State Treasurer's Retirement Division handles survivor and death-benefit claims for VSERS, VMERS and VSTRS.¹

Death after retirement

Under 3 V.S.A. § 468, the VSERS benefit that continues depends on the optional form of allowance the member elected before the first payment became due. A named beneficiary may receive a continuing allowance or a residual lump sum.²

Under VSERS Option 1, any residual of the member's accumulated contributions is paid to the named beneficiary.²

Who receives the benefit

Under 3 V.S.A. § 468, with no living designated beneficiary, the VSERS residual goes to the estate's administrator or executor. For a closed estate or none, and an account valued at less than $1,000, it is paid per the Probate Division decree, then to the surviving spouse or next of kin.^{2, 3}

Death before retirement

Under 3 V.S.A. § 465, when a VSERS member dies in service before the normal retirement date with under 10 years of creditable service, the accumulated contributions are paid to the person the member designated in writing with the Retirement Board.⁴

VSERS members with longer service, and members of VMERS and VSTRS, are covered by their own systems' survivor-allowance provisions.⁴

Governing law: 3 V.S.A. §§ 465, 468 (VSERS); 24 V.S.A. chapter 125 (VMERS); 16 V.S.A. chapter 55 (VSTRS)

Vermont State Employees' Retirement System (VSERS)

State employees (3 V.S.A. chapter 16)⁵

Vermont Municipal Employees' Retirement System (VMERS)

Municipal employees (24 V.S.A. chapter 125)⁶

Vermont State Teachers' Retirement System (VSTRS)

Teachers (16 V.S.A. chapter 55)⁷

1. 1.Retirement (Vermont State Treasurer)
2. 2.3 V.S.A. § 468
3. 3.2026, No. 91 (H.927), As Enacted
4. 4.3 V.S.A. § 465
5. 5.Vermont State Employees' Retirement System (Vermont State Treasurer)
6. 6.Vermont Municipal Employees' Retirement System (Vermont State Treasurer)
7. 7.Vermont State Teachers' Retirement System (Vermont State Treasurer)