What to do when a TRS of Texas account holder dies
Contact TRS of Texas — 7-step process, 6 required documents, and trs states that most benefits are processed within 31 days of receiving all properly completed documents. claim forms should be filed before the first anniversary of the member's death to avoid adverse tax consequences.
TRS Telephone Counseling Center
Phone1-800-223-8778
Mailing Address
Teacher Retirement System of Texas, P.O. Box 149676, Austin, TX 78714
Overnight/courier (UPS, FedEx)
WebsiteLearn more→
TRS Telephone Counseling Center
Phone1-800-223-8778
Mailing Address
Teacher Retirement System of Texas, P.O. Box 149676, Austin, TX 78714
Overnight/courier (UPS, FedEx)
WebsiteLearn more→
TRS Benefit Services (death and survivor benefit claims)
Phone1-800-223-8778
Toll-Free1-800-223-8778
Fax512-542-6597
Mailing Address
Teacher Retirement System of Texas, P.O. Box 149676, Austin, TX 78714 (overnight/courier: 4655 Mueller Blvd., Austin, TX 78723)
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
When a TRS of Texas account holder passes away, the next step depends on how the pension benefits were set up. Accounts with beneficiary designations or trust ownership transfer outside of probate. Accounts titled solely in the deceased's name require the estate's legal representative to work with TRS of Texas's TRS Benefit Services (death and survivor benefit claims) (1-800-223-8778) to access and distribute the funds.
The claim process can be initiated by phone at 1-800-223-8778 or by sending documentation to MemberCondolences@trs.texas.gov. Have the account holder's full name, account numbers, and a certified death certificate available when making initial contact.
Death claim process
Here is the step-by-step death claim process at TRS of Texas:
Filing a claim
1
Notify TRS of the death by calling 1-800-223-8778 (Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT); the deceased member's employer or a funeral home may assist, and TRS asks to be told promptly so the death and survivor benefits can be disbursed
2
Provide TRS with the information needed to open the claim:
- The deceased member's name and date of death
- The name, address, and phone number of the family member, friend, or other person who will act as TRS's contact
- A copy of the death certificate when it becomes available
3
TRS mails benefit information and the applicable claim forms to the beneficiary or beneficiaries on record; there is no public downloadable TRS death-claim form
4
Identify which benefit the beneficiary is claiming, because the elections differ:
- Active member death: the BENEFICIARY chooses among the five payment plans (up to $80,000 lump sum, 60 monthly payments, an Option One lifetime annuity, the accumulated contributions, or $2,500 plus monthly survivor payments), so the choice is made after the death, not before it
- Retiree death: the $10,000 lump-sum survivor benefit is paid to the TRS15 beneficiary in addition to any continuing Option One, Two, Three, Four, or Five annuity, and those two beneficiaries can be different people
- A joint-and-survivor annuity beneficiary who begins receiving the retiree's annuity must in turn designate their own beneficiary for it
5
Return the completed claim forms with a copy of the death certificate to TRS, P.O. Box 149676, Austin, TX 78714, or fax Benefit Services at 512-542-6597
6
File the completed claim forms before the FIRST ANNIVERSARY of the member's death; TRS states that filing later can cause adverse tax consequences
7
TRS reviews the claim and pays the benefit; TRS reports that most benefits are processed within 31 days of receiving all properly completed documents
Required Documents
- Copy of the death certificate
- Completed TRS death benefit claim forms (mailed by TRS after notice of death)
- Beneficiary identification and contact information
- Certified copy of a divorce decree, if a former spouse is the designated beneficiary and the survivor is asserting that the designation was revoked (TRS must receive it before payment is made)
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, if the beneficiary is the member's estate (TRS pays an estate only if it is probated in some manner)
- Trust instrument, if a trust is the named beneficiary
What to know at this institution
A TRS death claim turns entirely on the designation form TRS held on the date of death. A divorce does NOT automatically revoke a former spouse as beneficiary: to revoke, TRS must receive either a post-divorce designation signed after the divorce date, or a certified copy of the divorce decree BEFORE it pays benefits — and for a retiree's optional annuity, revoking a former-spouse beneficiary requires that person's consent or a court order. If no valid designation is on file, Texas law pays the surviving spouse, then a statutory order of other related survivors, then the estate. TRS death and survivor benefits are not life insurance and are generally subject to federal income tax; the $160,000 benefit for a member who dies from a physical assault in the line of duty is the exception. TRS survivor benefits are not assignable and cannot be assigned to a funeral home. Report a death by phone at 1-800-223-8778; standard mail goes to P.O. Box 149676, Austin, TX 78714, overnight or courier documents to 4655 Mueller Blvd., Austin, TX 78723, and the TRS Benefit Services fax is 512-542-6597.
Prepare your letter of instruction to TRS of Texas
TRS of Texas asks for a letter of instruction alongside its claim form. We prepare a transmittal cover letter and the enclosure checklist TRS of Texas requires.
Build your letter of instructionHow long the process takes at TRS of Texas: TRS states that most benefits are processed within 31 days of receiving all properly completed documents. Claim forms should be filed before the first anniversary of the member's death to avoid adverse tax consequences. The most common reason for delays is missing or incomplete documentation, so submitting everything upfront is the best way to keep things moving.
TRS of Texas requires several documents to process a claim, including Copy of the death certificate, Completed TRS death benefit claim forms (mailed by TRS after notice of death), and Beneficiary identification and contact information, and additional documentation depending on the account type. Certified copies are typically needed—photocopies are generally not accepted for death certificates or court documents.
Frequently asked questions
TRS does allow a trust to be named, but not every trust works for every benefit. The TRS Benefits Handbook states that the beneficiary of a joint-and-survivor annuity (Option One, Two, or Five) must be a person or an irrevocable, inter vivos trust that has only one beneficiary and terminates upon the death of that beneficiary. A standard revocable living trust does not satisfy that requirement, so it cannot receive a continuing TRS survivor annuity. A trust may be named for the lump-sum death and survivor benefits designated on form TRS15, though TRS warns that naming a trust, an organization, or your estate may affect the ability to roll the benefit over to another eligible retirement plan. A pension itself can never be retitled into a trust.
No. TRS states plainly that a divorce does not automatically revoke the designation of a former spouse made before the divorce. To revoke it, TRS must receive either a new Designation of Beneficiary (TRS15) signed after the divorce date and received before your death, or a certified copy of the divorce decree before it pays any death benefits. For a retiree's optional retirement annuity, it is stricter: the former spouse must consent on a TRS form, or a court with jurisdiction over the marriage must order or authorize the change. Divorce decrees sitting in a lawyer's file do TRS no good.
Only within tight limits, and the two beneficiaries move differently. The joint-and-survivor annuity beneficiary (Option One, Two, or Five) can be changed only ONE time after the first annuity payment, and only if the original beneficiary consents (when that person is the spouse) or a court authorizes the change, and only if you have not outlived the original beneficiary's remaining life expectancy — TRS then pays the new beneficiary for the shorter of the original beneficiary's remaining life expectancy or the new beneficiary's life, and warns it may be nothing at all. That change uses form TRS 30C, with the Beneficiary Revocation Consent form (TRS 571) where a spouse or former spouse is involved. A guaranteed-period beneficiary (Option Three or Four) can be changed at any time during the guaranteed period using form TRS 30D. The beneficiary of the $10,000 survivor benefit, named on TRS15, can be changed as often as you like.
TRS pays under the statutory order in Texas law, not under your will. If no valid designation is on file at death, the surviving spouse is eligible to receive the benefits; if there is no surviving spouse, TRS pays according to the statutory order of other related survivors; and if there are none, TRS pays the estate. TRS must physically receive an original signed TRS15 before the member dies for a designation to take effect, and an employer is not authorized to accept the form on TRS's behalf, so a signed form left in a school district personnel file does nothing. You can also deliberately name "my estate" on the form, but TRS will only pay an estate that is probated in some manner, which delays payment.
For an active member who dies before retirement, the beneficiary — not the member — selects among five payment plans: twice the member's annual salary capped at $80,000; 60 monthly payments equal to the standard annuity (5+ years of service credit); a lifetime Option One 100 percent joint-and-survivor annuity (5+ years, not available to joint beneficiaries); the accumulated contributions; or $2,500 plus monthly survivor payments to a spouse, minor children, or dependent parent. A further $160,000 is payable, tax free, if the member dies from a physical assault in the line of duty. For a retiree, the TRS15 beneficiary receives a $10,000 lump-sum survivor benefit on top of any continuing annuity. Report the death at 1-800-223-8778; TRS mails the claim forms, says most benefits are processed within 31 days of receiving complete documents, and asks that the claim be filed before the first anniversary of the death to avoid adverse tax consequences.
TRS of Texas's TRS Benefit Services (death and survivor benefit claims) can be reached by phone at 1-800-223-8778, email at MemberCondolences@trs.texas.gov, and fax at 512-542-6597 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
Data sourced from TRS of Texas primary sources (12 pages reviewed). How we research.
TRS Telephone Counseling Center
Phone1-800-223-8778
Mailing Address
Teacher Retirement System of Texas, P.O. Box 149676, Austin, TX 78714
Overnight/courier (UPS, FedEx)
WebsiteLearn more→
TRS Telephone Counseling Center
Phone1-800-223-8778
Mailing Address
Teacher Retirement System of Texas, P.O. Box 149676, Austin, TX 78714
Overnight/courier (UPS, FedEx)
WebsiteLearn more→
TRS Benefit Services (death and survivor benefit claims)
Phone1-800-223-8778
Toll-Free1-800-223-8778
Fax512-542-6597
Mailing Address
Teacher Retirement System of Texas, P.O. Box 149676, Austin, TX 78714 (overnight/courier: 4655 Mueller Blvd., Austin, TX 78723)
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
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