- If you die while working with at least 5 consecutive years, your eligible survivor gets 75% of the pension you would have received. If you die as a vested former employee, your survivor gets 50%, starting when you would have been eligible.Summary Plan Description (2026), p. 20
- A surviving spouse under 50 gets an actuarially reduced pension unless caring for an eligible child.Summary Plan Description (2026), p. 20, Surviving Spouse Under 50
Before you retire
| You die | Your survivor gets | On $2,380.56 |
|---|---|---|
| While working, with 5+ years in a row | 75% of the pension you'd have received | $1,785.42 |
| After leaving, vested | 50% of your vested pension, from when you'd have been eligible | $1,190.28 |
Our illustration on the Office of Pensions' $2,380.56 calculator example. Summary Plan Description (2026), p. 18, Table 2 (Survivor); p. 20, criterion 1 Summary Plan Description (2026), p. 20, criterion 2; 29 Del. C. §5528(c)
The Summary Plan Description says the survivor of a member who dies while still working gets 75% of the pension the member would have received. The law's wording could mean 75% after a 2% option reduction. We use the Summary Plan Description's plain 75%.
Summary Plan Description (2026), p. 18, Table 2; p. 20; 29 Del. C. §5528(a)(1)After you retire
Your survivor gets the survivor percentage you chose at retirement: 50% at no cost, or more for a small cut. See survivor options. Summary Plan Description (2026), pp. 19-20, Survivor Pension, Table 3; p. 31, Joint Survivor Benefit Form; Office of Pensions workshop slides (Aug. 4, 2026), slides 14-15
A spouse under 50
A surviving spouse under 50 has the pension actuarially reduced for each month under 50, except while caring for an eligible child. The Board's actuarial tables are not published. Summary Plan Description (2026), p. 20, Surviving Spouse Under 50; 29 Del. C. §5528(e)
A surviving spouse under 50 gets a pension reduced by Board tables that aren't published, so we can't show that amount.
What would settle it: The Board of Pension Trustees' actuarial tables.
No eligible survivor
If there is no eligible survivor, the named beneficiary (or the estate) receives any excess of your contributions with interest over all pension payments made. Summary Plan Description (2026), p. 20, Death Benefits When No Eligible Survivor; 29 Del. C. §5529
Burial benefit
When a pensioner dies, the beneficiary they named gets a $7,000 burial benefit. It is taxable and costs you nothing. Summary Plan Description (2026), p. 34, Burial Benefit ($7,000 taxable, no cost); Office of Pensions workshop slides (Aug. 4, 2026), slide 23
See also the glossary and the calculator.
Questions
What does my spouse get if I die before retiring?
If you had at least 5 years in a row, your eligible survivor gets 75% of the pension you would have received.
What if I die after leaving, but before my pension starts?
If you were vested, your survivor gets 50% of your vested pension, starting when you would have become eligible.
Is there a death benefit after I retire?
Yes. A $7,000 burial benefit is paid to the beneficiary you name, at no cost to you. It is taxable.
Source: State Employees' Pension Plan Summary Plan Description, 2026 edition (PDF dated May 14, 2026), pp. 18-20, 31, 34. Also: Office of Pensions workshop (Aug. 4, 2026), slides 14-15, 23; 29 Del. C. §§ 5528, 5529. Last reviewed .