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Employers Manual

Survivor Benefits

Retirement-Based Benefit
The retirement-based benefit is payable when the member dies after qualifying for service retirement but before actually retiring with STRS Ohio.

If there are qualified children under the Defined Benefit Plan, they must select between the dependent-based and the service-based benefit. However, once the children no longer qualify for benefits (because of attainment of age 22 or marital status, for example), the primary beneficiary may change to the retirement-based benefit.

There is no time restriction to apply for this benefit. If a member’s account is inactive and the member’s death occurred after meeting service retirement eligibility, a retirement-based benefit is payable to a qualified survivor.

Eligibility requirements for service retirement are:

Age Minimum Years of Service Credit
Any age 30
55 25*
60 5*

*If, before death, the member had between 29.01 and 30 years of service credit, the benefit will be calculated based on 30 years of credit.

Qualifying Survivors
Under the retirement-based benefit, the following individuals qualify as a primary beneficiary:

  • A spouse.
  • A named financially dependent beneficiary. To qualify for benefits this individual must have received at least one-half of his or her support from the member during the 12-month period before the member’s death.*
  • A named qualified child or dependent parent who is a sole beneficiary following the termination of dependent-based or service-based survivor benefits.

    * Proof of dependency must be substantiated before benefits are paid.

The retirement-based benefit is determined using the service retirement benefit calculation described in the STRS Ohio Service Retirement and Plans of Payment brochure. The benefit is calculated as if the member had actually retired and provided the maximum joint and survivor benefit to the qualified survivor. This is an Option 1(B) plan of payment.

STRS Ohio Health Care Program
Survivors who meet certain eligibility requirements may enroll in the STRS Ohio Health Care Program for a monthly premium. Health care is not a guaranteed benefit, and STRS Ohio rules and policies relating to health care plans, premiums and eligibility are subject to change. Survivors should call the Member Services Center toll-free at 1-888-227-7877 for more information about STRS Ohio health care.