This beneficiary cannot be changed, even if your beneficiary dies before you. All of the options provide a lifetime benefit to you as a NYSLRS retiree, but not all of them provide for a beneficiary. The Maryland State Retirement and Pension System has a long, secure history of providing benefits to its members. All benefit claims should be made to the Claims Division. Death Before Retirement, If you die while actively employed and have at least 18 months of service, your qualified survivors will be eligible for benefits. This is a warning about dishonest individuals who prey on those who receive pension benefits with regular aid and attendance. If 50% of your pension provides a greater monthly benefit than the amounts stated above, it is payable to your survivors. (S)he will receive this benefit until death. Survivors Pension. While an un-remarried spouse is eligible at any age, a child of a deceased wartime Veteran must be: Your yearly family income must be less than the amount set by Congress to qualify for the Survivors Pension benefit. (The beneficiary for this benefit would be designated “Death Bene” in the Type of Beneficiary column in Retirement Online.). Find a VA regional office near you. The Survivors Pension benefit, which may also be referred to as Death Pension, is a tax-free monetary benefit payable to a low-income, un-remarried surviving spouse and/or unmarried child(ren) of a deceased Veteran with wartime service. If you die from a work-related injury or illness, as determined by the Workers Compensation Commission, your survivors are eligible for an occupational death benefit. 3. See State Retirement Systems and Divorce. The benefit payments continue for your lifetime only. The Survivor’s Benefit Program provides a death benefit to the beneficiaries of eligible retired New York State employees. Federal Benefits for Veterans, Dependents, and Survivors, For service on or before September 7, 1980, the Veteran must have served at least 90 days of active military service, with at least one day during a, If he or she entered active duty after September 7, 1980, generally he or she must have served at least 24 months or the full period for which called or ordered to active duty with at least one day during a. To change your beneficiaries for these options, submit a. If your death occurs after termination of state employment, but before retirement benefits begin, you must have eight years of service for your survivors to qualify for survivor benefits. Your beneficiary(ies) may also be entitled to a Post-Retirement Death Benefit, and, if you were employed by New York State, a Survivor’s Benefit. If you chose the Single Life Allowance, or if you chose a joint allowance but your beneficiary has died, you can change your survivor’s benefit beneficiary at any time by sending us a completed Pensioner’s Designation of Beneficiaries (RS6439) form. In order to receive any benefit, your beneficiary must apply for it. This benefit is payable until the last child reaches age 18 (22 if full-time student), marries, dies, or is no longer disabled. Upon your death, ben-efits end and your survivors do not receive a pension allowance. The occupational death benefit is increased 3% each January 1, following the first anniversary of the annuity. If your claim is denied, or you question the payment of any benefit, you or your representative may file a written appeal or request a hearing before the Executive Committee. All benefit claims and appeals are reviewed by the SERS Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees. FSGLI: Family Servicemembers Group Life Insurance, Schedule of Payments for Traumatic Losses, S-DVI: Service-Disabled Veterans Life Insurance, Beneficiary Financial Counseling and Online Will, Lesbian Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Veterans. If you were a member of SERS before July 19, 1961, and die leaving a surviving widow, she may have the option of taking a widow’s annuity rather than a survivors’ benefit. Visit our Payment Option Descriptions page to see a full list, but the options most often selected are: You can see your pension payment option in the Summary section of Retirement Online. All SERS records are maintained according to the member's Social Security number. If your death results from a work related cause, your eligible survivors and beneficiaries may qualify for benefits. You will now be able to tab or arrow up or down through the submenu options to access/activate the submenu links. These amounts are reduced by any payments awarded under the Workers’ Compensation Act, or the Workers’ Occupational Diseases Act. Make sure the member's Social Security number is correct when filing a claim. All benefit claims and appeals are reviewed by the SERS Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees. However, the "Google Translate" option may help you to read it in other languages. If you aren't sure what your spouse chose, get in touch with the company providing the pension. To schedule a phone consultation, and for all other inquiries, contact us at 1-866-805-0990; 518-474-7736 in the Albany, NY area. The survivor benefits payable are subject to the same maximums as those payable during active employment, or 80% of the pension amount you were eligible to receive when you died, whichever is less. (S)he will receive $1,000, plus a monthly annuity up to a maximum of $600. Firefighters' and Rescue Squad Workers' Pension Fund death benefits are listed separately in this section. In person. Your Children, If you are not survived by a spouse, but have children under age 18 (22 if full-time student), or over age 18 and disabled, they can receive a monthly annuity, up to 50% of your salary. Download VA Form 21-534EZ (PDF) Mail it to the pension management center (PMC) for your state. When you die, your survivors should contact us as soon as possible. Read our brochure, The Survivor’s Benefit Program for Retired New York State Employees, for information about eligibility requirements. Some state and local government employees are covered by Social Security, some only by public-sector pension plans and some by both. The New York State Office of the State Comptroller's website is provided in English. These include, but are not limited to: Because Google Translate™ is intellectual property owned by Google Inc., you must use Google Translate™ in accord with the Google license agreement, which includes potential liability for misuse: Google Terms of Service. The State of New York, its officers, employees, and/or agents are not liable to you, or to third parties, for damages or losses of any kind arising out of, or in connection with, the use or performance of such information. Five- or Ten-Year Certain: If you die within five or ten years after retiring (depending which option you chose) NYSLRS pays a beneficiary, or multiple beneficiaries, for the remainder of the five or ten years. You may also visit your local regional benefit office and turn in your application for processing. 2. Your Dependent Parents. If your spouse or children do not survive you, your dependent parents may be eligible for benefits. Your Spouse, If you are survived by your spouse, (s)he will receive a monthly annuity equal to 50% of your salary. How Much Life Insurance Do You Really Need? 1. Death After Termination. All benefit claims and appeals are reviewed by the SERS Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees. This benefit is payable until your the last child reaches age 18 (22 if full-time student), marries, dies, or is no longer disabled. Your beneficiary(ies) may also be entitled to a Post-Retirement Death Benefit, and, if you were employed by New York State, a Survivor’s Benefit. Not all retirees are eligible — it depends on your retirement plan and tier. (see survivor benefits below). In order to receive any benefit, your beneficiary must apply for it. Certain pension payment options provide a lifetime benefit to a beneficiary. If your spouse supports your children under age 18 (22 if full-time student), or a disabled child over 18, (s)he can receive benefits before age 50. After your survivor begins receiving benefits (s)he should notify SERS if there is a change of address. When you die, your survivors should contact us as soon as possible. All benefit claims should be made to the Claims Division. Find your PMC. If you have no qualified survivors, your nominated beneficiary(ies) will receive your contributions and interest, and one month’s salary for each year of service, up to a maximum of six month's salary. If your claim is denied, or you question the payment of any benefit, you or your representative may file a written appeal or request a hearing before the Executive Committee. If 50% of your earned pension provides a greater monthly benefit than the amounts stated above, the higher amount is payable to your family. Death After Retirement. All benefit claims should be made to the Claims Division. You will need to provide your Social Security number and proof of age. If 50% of your earned pension provides a greater monthly benefit than the amounts stated above, it is payable to your survivors. 1-800-273-8255 (Press 1). After your second year of retirement: 10 percent of the benefit that would have been payable at retirement, or at age 60, whichever was earlier. If you chose the Pop-Up option, your pension amount goes up if your beneficiary dies before you. Google Translate™ cannot translate all types of documents, and it may not give you an exact translation all the time. If you are survived by your spouse age 50 or over, and you were married at least one year prior to your death, (s)he will receive $1,000, plus a monthly annuity up to a maximum of $400. efit or monthly income to another person after your death, the Maximum Option may be the most appro-priate payment choice for you. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs | 810 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington DC 20420. To access the menus on this page please perform the following steps. If you no longer have this letter, you can contact us to request a reprint. If you are a NYSLRS retiree, your beneficiaries may be entitled to receive death benefits. There have been reports of scam artists targeting and taking advantage of Veterans receiving these benefits. If you die after retiring, survivor benefits are subject to the same maximums as those payable during active employment, or 80% of the pension you were receiving when you died, whichever is less. This is a one-time, lump sum benefit payable to your beneficiaries if you die after retiring directly from service or within one year of leaving public employment. All SERS records are maintained according to the member's Social Security number. Learn more about income and net worth limitation, and see an example of how VA calculates the Survivors Pension benefit. Your beneficiary(ies) for this benefit is tied to your pension payment option. After your survivor begins receiving benefits (s)he should notify SERS if there is a change of address. If you are not survived by a spouse, but have children under age 18 (22 if full-time student), or over 18 and disabled, they can receive $1,000 plus a monthly annuity up to a maximum of $600. In order to receive any occupational death benefit, your survivor must apply for it. If you die after retiring, survivor benefits are subject to the same maximums as those payable during active employment, or 80% of the pension you were receiving when you died, whichever is less. Office of Accountability & Whistleblower Protection, Training – Exposure – Experience (TEE) Tournament, Staff Appraisal Reviewer (SAR) Information, How to Apply for Nonsupervised Automatic Authority, VALERI (VA Loan Electronic Reporting Interface). If you rely on information obtained from Google Translate™, you do so at your own risk.