What to do when a STRS Ohio account holder dies
Contact STRS Ohio — 5-step process, 3 required documents, and a death can be reported immediately by phone or through the death notification application. benefits are paid after strs ohio receives the certified death certificate and the completed claim forms; timing depends on the benefits payable and the survivors involved.
STRS Ohio Member Services Center
Phone1-888-227-7877
Mailing Address
State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio, 275 East Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43215-3771
WebsiteLearn more→
STRS Ohio Member Services Center
Phone1-888-227-7877
Mailing Address
State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio, 275 East Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43215-3771
WebsiteLearn more→
STRS Ohio Member Services Center (Report a Death)
Phone1-888-227-7877
Mailing Address
State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio, 275 East Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43215-3771
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
After a STRS Ohio account holder dies, accounts with beneficiary designations or trust ownership transfer to the designated recipients without probate. Solely-owned accounts require the estate's representative to contact STRS Ohio's STRS Ohio Member Services Center (Report a Death) at 1-888-227-7877 with the proper legal authority documents.
STRS Ohio offers an online claims portal that makes the initial filing process more straightforward. Survivors can also initiate claims by phone or by mailing documentation directly.
Death claim process
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what STRS Ohio requires:
Filing a claim
1
Report the death to STRS Ohio as soon as possible by calling 1-888-227-7877, or by completing the Death Notification application
2
Provide a certified copy of the death certificate, which is required to process benefits
3
STRS Ohio reviews the member or benefit recipient's account and identifies the survivor benefits, account payment, continuing monthly benefit, and death benefit that may be payable
4
STRS Ohio sends the necessary claim forms to the beneficiary or survivor to complete and return
5
Qualified survivors of Defined Benefit and Combined Plan members receive monthly survivor benefits or a lump-sum account payment; a continuing monthly benefit is paid under the elected plan of payment; and the $1,000 death benefit is paid to the beneficiary of a retiree or disability benefit recipient
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- The deceased member or benefit recipient's STRS Ohio account information (name and Social Security number)
- Completed STRS Ohio claim forms provided after the death is reported
What to know at this institution
Report a death by calling STRS Ohio at 1-888-227-7877 or by completing the Death Notification application. Beneficiaries provide a certified copy of the death certificate and complete the forms STRS Ohio sends to process survivor benefits, a member-account payment, a continuing monthly benefit under the elected plan of payment, and the $1,000 death benefit.
Prepare your letter of instruction to STRS Ohio
STRS Ohio asks for a letter of instruction alongside its claim form. We prepare a transmittal cover letter and the enclosure checklist STRS Ohio requires.
Build your letter of instructionExpected timelines at STRS Ohio: A death can be reported immediately by phone or through the Death Notification application. Benefits are paid after STRS Ohio receives the certified death certificate and the completed claim forms; timing depends on the benefits payable and the survivors involved. Delays are almost always caused by incomplete paperwork—gathering all required documents before filing the initial claim helps avoid back-and-forth.
To process a claim, STRS Ohio needs Certified copy of the death certificate, The deceased member or benefit recipient's STRS Ohio account information (name and Social Security number), and Completed STRS Ohio claim forms provided after the death is reported. Death certificates and court documents must be certified copies—photocopies are not accepted.
Frequently asked questions
Report the death to STRS Ohio as soon as possible by calling 1-888-227-7877 or by completing the Death Notification application. A certified copy of the death certificate is required to process benefits. STRS Ohio reviews the account and mails the appropriate survivor and death benefit claim forms to the beneficiary or survivor to complete and return.
If a Defined Benefit Plan or Combined Plan member dies before retiring, qualified survivors may receive a monthly benefit that is a percentage of the member's final average salary, or a lump-sum payment of the member's account. Only one type of benefit is paid. There are three types of monthly benefit with different eligibility: the dependent-based benefit (at least 1.50 years of qualifying service credit, with a quarter year earned within the 30 months before death, or receiving a disability benefit at death), the service-based benefit (20 or more years of service credit), and the retirement-based benefit (member died after qualifying for service retirement). Defined Contribution Plan members are not in the survivor benefits program, but their account balance is available to beneficiaries.
When a service retirement or disability benefit recipient dies, STRS Ohio automatically pays a $1,000 death benefit to the designated or qualified beneficiary. A benefit recipient may also purchase an additional death benefit of $1,000 or $2,000, funded through deductions from the monthly STRS Ohio benefit. The death benefit is paid to the beneficiary on file, or by the plan's succession order when none is named.
Members can name and update beneficiaries through their STRS Ohio online account or by completing the Designation of Beneficiaries Before Benefit Payments form and returning it to STRS Ohio. A designation is valid only if it is signed by the member and received by STRS Ohio before the member's death. Certain life events — marriage, birth or adoption of a child, divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or account withdrawal or distribution — automatically invoke the succession of beneficiaries unless a new designation is filed first.
It depends on the plan of payment the member elected at retirement. The Single Life Annuity pays the largest monthly amount for the member's lifetime and provides no continuing payment to a survivor. A Joint and Survivor Annuity pays a reduced monthly amount that continues to one named primary beneficiary after the member dies. In general the plan of payment and the primary beneficiary cannot be changed after retirement; a member who elected a Single Life Annuity and later marries may change to a Joint and Survivor Annuity naming the new spouse within the first year of marriage.
Defined Contribution Plan members are not eligible for the STRS Ohio survivor benefits program; when a Defined Contribution member dies, the account balance is available to the member's beneficiaries. Combined Plan members participate in the survivor benefits program for the defined benefit portion and also have a defined contribution account balance available to beneficiaries. A member's account consists of contributions plus an additional amount payable under Section 3307.563 of the Ohio Revised Code.
A certified copy of the death certificate is required to process any benefit. When you report the death by calling 1-888-227-7877 or by completing the Death Notification application, STRS Ohio reviews the account and mails the specific claim forms the beneficiary or survivor needs to complete and return.
STRS Ohio pays account payments and the death benefit to the beneficiary on file with STRS Ohio, or by the plan's succession order when none is named, separate from the instructions in a will. Keeping the STRS Ohio designation current through the online account or a Designation of Beneficiaries form determines who receives those benefits. Monthly survivor benefits, by contrast, are paid to statutorily qualified survivors.
STRS Ohio's STRS Ohio Member Services Center (Report a Death) can be reached by phone at 1-888-227-7877 for questions throughout the claims process.
Multiple STRS Ohio pension benefits may mean multiple claims. Some account types can be processed together, but others require their own documentation. Check with the STRS Ohio Member Services Center (Report a Death) to confirm what applies.
Sources
Data sourced from STRS Ohio primary sources (7 pages reviewed). How we research.
STRS Ohio Member Services Center
Phone1-888-227-7877
Mailing Address
State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio, 275 East Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43215-3771
WebsiteLearn more→
STRS Ohio Member Services Center
Phone1-888-227-7877
Mailing Address
State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio, 275 East Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43215-3771
WebsiteLearn more→
STRS Ohio Member Services Center (Report a Death)
Phone1-888-227-7877
Mailing Address
State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio, 275 East Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43215-3771
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
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