Changing Your Plan of Payment

Changing Your Plan of Payment

After retirement, the opportunity to select another plan of payment depends on the plan chosen at retirement. Only certain circumstances allow this opportunity, as noted below. If you are eligible to change your plan of payment, you can do so through your Online Personal Account. If you have questions or would like more information, please contact STRS Ohio toll-free at 888‑227‑7877, or by email. Please only include your name, the last four digits of your Social Security number or STRS Ohio account number with your email message (due to the fact email submissions on this site are unsecured).

Single Life Annuity

If you choose a Single Life Annuity plan at retirement and later marry, you may change your plan to a Joint and Survivor Annuity with your new spouse as beneficiary within the first year of your marriage. This is the only circumstance in which you may change a Single Life Annuity plan.

Joint & Survivor Annuity with Reversion

If you select this choice, you may revert to the Single Life Annuity plan of payment if:

  • Your beneficiary dies before you. A copy of the death certificate must accompany the application to revert to the Single Life Annuity plan. The effective date of the new benefit amount is the first day of the month following the beneficiary’s death.
  • Your marriage to the beneficiary terminates, provided that you have written consent from your former spouse or the appropriate court documentation authorizing such a change. The new selection is effective on the latter of the date the application is received by STRS Ohio or the date of divorce. The new benefit amount is paid the first of the next month.

Also, if a Joint and Survivor Annuity with reversion is selected and a non-spouse is named at retirement and you later marry, you may reselect your spouse as the new beneficiary within the first year of your marriage.

Joint & Survivor Annuity Without Reversion

With this choice you may never revert to a Single Life Annuity payment. Neither the plan of payment nor the primary beneficiary may be changed after retirement. You maintain this plan of payment even if your beneficiary dies or your marriage to the beneficiary terminates.

Annuity Certain

If you choose the Annuity Certain plan at retirement, you cannot reselect a different plan after retirement. However, you may name a different beneficiary for the remaining years on the guaranteed period.