State Public Pensions in West Virginia
The West Virginia Consolidated Public Retirement Board administers the retirement plans for state employees, public school teachers and service personnel, state troopers, judges, and emergency responders. Survivor and death benefits depend on the plan, whether the member was active or retired, and the payment option the retiree elected.
Administering agency
West Virginia Consolidated Public Retirement Board (CPRB)
State Public Pensions in West Virginia: key facts
- Plans administered
- Public Employees Retirement System (PERS, Tier I and Tier II), Teachers' Retirement System (TRS, Tier I and Tier II), Teachers' Defined Contribution Retirement System (TDC), State Trooper Plan A and State Trooper Plan B, Judges' Retirement System (JRS), Deputy Sheriff Retirement System (DSRS), Emergency Medical Services Retirement System (EMSRS), Municipal Police Officer and Firefighter Retirement System (MPFRS), and Natural Resources Police Officer Retirement System (NRPORS).
- Retiree death
- The continuing benefit depends on the annuity option the member elected at retirement. Under PERS the options are Straight Life (no beneficiary benefits payable), 100% Joint and Survivor (the named beneficiary receives the same monthly amount for life), and 50% Joint and Survivor (the beneficiary receives half). Under all options, any unpaid employee contributions plus 4% interest remaining at death are paid to the named beneficiary or the estate.
- Pre-retirement death
- A death benefit or survivor annuity may be payable to the designated beneficiary or qualifying survivor. Under PERS the option turns on the member's date of hire, years of credited service, and marital status at death — ranging from a lump sum of employee contributions plus 4% interest to a 100% Joint and Survivor annuity for a surviving spouse.
- Member services
- 1-800-654-4406 or 304-558-3570; CPRB@wv.gov (CPRB asks that personal information not be sent by plain email); 601 57th Street SE, Suite 5, Charleston, WV 25304.
- Death claims unit
- CPRB staffs a dedicated Deaths and Refunds unit. Its Death Claims and Refunds Manager line is 304-352-6855, and its Member/Retiree Death Claims desks are 304-352-6795, 304-352-6798, and 304-352-6800 (CPRB Contact Us directory).
Steps to take when someone dies
- Identify which CPRB plan the deceased belonged to (PERS, TRS, TDC, State Trooper Plan A or Plan B, JRS, DSRS, EMSRS, MPFRS, or NRPORS).
- Report the death to CPRB so the member's pension payments stop — 1-800-654-4406 or 304-558-3570 for the main line, or the Death Claims and Refunds unit directly at 304-352-6855.
- Confirm the beneficiary designation on file and ask what survivor annuity or death benefit is payable — under PERS this turns on the annuity option a retiree elected, or on date of hire, years of credited service, and marital status if the member died before retiring.
- File the survivor or death-benefit claim with whatever documents CPRB tells you it requires.
West Virginia Consolidated Public Retirement Board (CPRB)
Phone: 1-800-654-4406
Visit the agency website →Frequently asked questions
Contact the West Virginia Consolidated Public Retirement Board at 1-800-654-4406. CPRB administers PERS, TRS, and the other state retirement plans and handles survivor and death-benefit claims.
The benefit that continues depends on the annuity option the retiree elected at retirement. Under PERS, a 100% Joint and Survivor election pays the named beneficiary the same monthly amount for life and a 50% Joint and Survivor election pays half, while a Straight Life election carries no beneficiary benefits. Under all options, any unpaid employee contributions plus 4% interest remaining at death are paid to the named beneficiary or the estate.
CPRB may pay a death benefit or survivor annuity to the designated beneficiary or a qualifying survivor when an active member dies before retirement. The amount and form depend on the member's plan, service credit, and the plan's rules.
Sources
Data sourced from State Public Pensions in West Virginia primary sources (5 pages reviewed). How we research.
Administering agency
West Virginia Consolidated Public Retirement Board (CPRB)