I'm sorry for your loss. Here's where to start.
- Call TRS as soon as you can at 1-800-223-8778 and give the date of death. The handbook asks families to phone in an active member's death, and asks any beneficiary to contact TRS as soon as possible after a death. (Handbook pp. 9, 22)
- Send a copy of the death certificate when you have it. (Handbook p. 22)
- Find the member's TRS Participant ID (it's on their TRS membership card) or Social Security number. TRS asks for a name and one of these on all mail. (Handbook pp. 55-56)
- Watch for TRS's letter and fill in its forms. TRS sends the beneficiary information about claiming any benefits. No payment is made until the required forms are complete. (Handbook pp. 9, 22)
You don't have to decide anything on the first call. One thing to know early: TRS benefits can't be signed over to a funeral home. (Handbook pp. 20, 47)
Or had left teaching but hadn't retired. See active member death benefits.
Go to section ↓The member had retiredAnd was getting a monthly TRS pension. See retiree survivor benefits.
Go to section ↓If the member hadn't retired yet
If a member dies in a school year when they worked for a TRS-covered employer, or while performing qualified military service, their beneficiary chooses one of these five payment plans. (Handbook p. 22)
- 1
Twice the yearly salary
Two times the member's annual salary for the school year they died, or two times the pay actually paid to them in the school year before, whichever is more. The most this pays is $80,000.
- 2
60 monthly payments
Sixty monthly payments equal to the member's standard annuity, with no reduction for early age.
- 3
A monthly payment for life
A lifetime annuity equal to an Option One (100% joint and survivor) pension, figured as if the member had retired the month before they died. To decide whether it's reduced for early age, TRS treats the member as having five extra years of service credit.
- 4
The member's contributions
A payment equal to the accumulated contributions in the member's account: what they paid in from their salary, any amounts they paid to buy service credit, and interest.
- 5
$2,500 plus a monthly payment
A $2,500 lump sum plus a monthly payment. How much and for how long depends on who the beneficiary is: see the table below.
Joint beneficiaries can't choose the lifetime annuity, because it's based on the lives of the member and one other person. (Handbook pp. 20, 22)
If the member hadn't worked that school year
The beneficiary can still choose from the five plans if any of these is true (Handbook p. 22):
- The member was eligible to retire when they died, or would have become eligible without more service before the fifth anniversary of their last day of work.
- They were away from work because of sickness, accident or another cause TRS decides was involuntary.
- They were away in advancement of the objectives or welfare of the public school system.
- They died on or after Jan. 1, 2007, while performing qualified military service.
- They worked for a TRS-covered employer that school year, but in a job that wasn't eligible for membership.
If none of these applies, the beneficiary receives the member's accumulated contributions. (Handbook p. 22)
Service credit the member was buying
Service credit the member could have bought only counts toward active member death benefits if it was bought before their death. If the member was paying for service credit in installments, the beneficiary may pay the balance in a lump sum to finish the purchase. (Handbook p. 15) Service credit under the Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) can be transferred when a preretirement death benefit becomes payable. (Handbook p. 18)
If the member had retired
The beneficiary of a service or disability retiree receives a $10,000 lump sum. It's paid in addition to any Option One to Five annuity that continues. Instead of the $10,000, the beneficiary can choose $2,500 plus a monthly payment (see the table). (Handbook p. 47)
The $10,000 isn't paid if a disability retiree had already received all their monthly payments before death. Beneficiaries of disability retirees who retired before Sept. 1, 1992, and get a standard disability annuity can choose these benefits or the active member death benefits above. (Handbook p. 47)
What happens to the monthly pension
It depends on the payment plan the retiree chose when they retired. Joint and survivor payments (Options One, Five and Two) go to the beneficiary only if that person outlives the retiree.
Monthly payments stop. If the retiree hadn't yet been paid as much as the accumulated contributions in their account at retirement, the beneficiary also gets the difference as a lump sum, on top of the $10,000.
The beneficiary gets 100% of the retiree's monthly payment for the rest of their life.
The beneficiary gets 75% of the retiree's monthly payment for life.
The beneficiary gets half (50%) of the retiree's monthly payment for life.
If fewer than 60 monthly payments had been made, the beneficiary gets the rest of the 60.
If fewer than 120 monthly payments had been made, the beneficiary gets the rest of the 120.
A joint and survivor beneficiary needs to name their own beneficiary too. If the retiree and that beneficiary both die before they've been paid, together, as much as the retiree's accumulated contributions at retirement, TRS pays the difference to the beneficiary's beneficiary, their estate, or others set by law. (Handbook p. 47)
The $2,500-plus-monthly choice
Available instead of the other plans, for both active members and retirees. Every choice starts with a $2,500 lump sum. (Handbook pp. 22, 47)
| Beneficiary | Monthly | How long |
|---|---|---|
| A spouse | $250 | for life, starting when your spouse turns 65 or at your death, whichever is later |
| A spouse with one or more minor children | $350 | until the youngest child turns 18; then $250 a month for life, starting at 65 or when the youngest turns 18, whichever is later |
| Two or more children under 18 | $350 | until the youngest turns 18 |
| One child under 18 | $250 | until the child turns 18 |
| A dependent parent | $250 | for life, starting when the parent turns 65 or at your death, whichever is later |
Naming a beneficiary: planning ahead
TRS calls this one of the most important things you do as a member. A current form on file means TRS pays the people you choose. (Handbook pp. 13, 20)
- Use TRS's form and send it straight to TRS. The Designation of Beneficiary form is TRS 15. Your employer isn't allowed to accept it for TRS, and TRS must receive it before your death. TRS has several beneficiary forms, so use the one for the specific benefit. (Handbook p. 20)
- Give enough detail for TRS to find and pay your beneficiary. Naming an estate, trust or other legal entity may need more paperwork. (Handbook p. 20)
- If there's no valid form, Texas law decides: the surviving spouse first, then other relatives in the order set by law, then your estate. That may not fit your family's needs. (Handbook p. 20)
- Review it after big life events: marriage, divorce, a birth, the death of a spouse or beneficiary, or if a beneficiary starts getting Medicaid or other needs-based help. (Handbook pp. 13, 20)
- Joint beneficiaries share certain active member death benefits equally. If one dies before you, the others get it all. An alternate beneficiary is paid only if no joint beneficiary outlives you. (Handbook p. 20)
- Divorce doesn't remove an ex-spouse. To revoke a designation made before the divorce, TRS needs a new form signed after the divorce (before your death), or a certified copy of the divorce decree before any death benefit is paid. To keep an ex-spouse, file a new form after the divorce. (Handbook pp. 21, 47) Even if a divorce didn't divide your TRS benefits, the handbook says to file a new TRS 15 afterward. (Handbook p. 49)
- A minor child can be named, but Texas law says TRS must pay an adult on the child's behalf. The handbook suggests legal advice, and the same for naming a legally incapacitated adult. (Handbook p. 21)
- A trust, your estate or an organization can be named for certain benefits. Get legal advice first: it can have tax effects and may affect whether the benefit can be rolled over. (Handbook p. 21)
Retirees have two beneficiaries to think about. The person who gets the $10,000 survivor benefit can be different from the person named for an Option One to Five annuity. You can change the survivor-benefit beneficiary as many times as you like, using TRS 15. Changing it doesn't change your annuity beneficiary. (Handbook pp. 45, 47)
If a court awarded a former spouse part of a TRS benefit in a divorce (a Qualified Domestic Relations Order, or QDRO), that person may generally be paid their share when a benefit is paid to you or, after your death, to your beneficiary. (Handbook p. 49)
Changing beneficiaries and plans after retiring
Change the beneficiary once
After your first payment, you can change your joint and survivor beneficiary one time, if (Handbook p. 45):
- you haven't already changed it, or switched to a joint and survivor plan after marrying;
- a spouse who was the original beneficiary consents on TRS's form, or a court orders or allows the change;
- you haven't outlived the original beneficiary's remaining life expectancy; and
- TRS receives your form (TRS 30C, plus TRS 571 for a spouse's consent) before your death.
The new beneficiary is paid for the shorter of the original beneficiary's remaining life expectancy or the new beneficiary's life. If you live past that life expectancy, the new beneficiary may get nothing. (Handbook p. 45)
The age-difference limits for Options One and Five also apply to a younger non-spouse beneficiary. There's a separate one-time rule for swapping between a person and a one-person trust. (Handbook pp. 34, 45)
Change it any time
During the guaranteed period, you can change your beneficiary at any time on form TRS 30D. TRS must receive the signed original before your death. (Handbook p. 45)
Back to the standard annuityDrop the survivor option
With Option One, Two or Five, you can switch to the standard annuity on form TRS 572. Payments go up starting the month after TRS receives the form, and you can't undo it. If the beneficiary was your spouse when you named them, you also need their notarized consent (TRS 571) or a court order. (Handbook p. 46)
This cancels the annuity beneficiary, but not your beneficiary for other TRS death benefits. (Handbook p. 46)
Add a new spouse
If you get a standard annuity and marry after retiring, you can switch to Option One, Two or Five for your new spouse. You must choose before your second wedding anniversary. The change starts with the first payment due two years after you file, and both of you must live until then. (Handbook p. 44)
Ask TRS for form TRS 30A. A later divorce doesn't cancel the designation. This also works if your original joint and survivor beneficiary died, or you switched back to the standard annuity. (Handbook p. 44)
Other things families ask about
- Taxes. TRS death and survivor benefits aren't life insurance, so they're generally subject to federal income tax. The $160,000 line-of-duty benefit is the exception. The handbook suggests asking a tax professional, and our TRS taxes guide covers rollovers and withholding. (Handbook pp. 20, 22, 47)
- Deadline for beneficiaries. Federal rules usually require a beneficiary's payments to start by Dec. 31 of the year after the year of death. There are exceptions if everything is paid within five years or the spouse is the only beneficiary. Delays in sending TRS forms don't move this date. (Handbook p. 9)
- Monthly payments to a beneficiary can go by direct deposit to a U.S. account (form TRS 278). They're generally paid on the last working day of each month. (Handbook p. 48) Beneficiaries getting a monthly annuity can also see their information in MyTRS. (Handbook p. 55)
- Health coverage. Surviving spouses and surviving dependent children of active members and retirees may be able to join TRS-Care if certain conditions are met. The handbook doesn't list those conditions, so ask TRS. There's no guarantee a surviving spouse can enroll later unless they have a special enrollment event or turn 65. (Handbook p. 54)
Questions
What should a family do first when a TRS member or retiree dies?
Call TRS toll free at 1-800-223-8778 as soon as you can and give the date of death. Send a copy of the death certificate when you have it. TRS then sends the beneficiary information about claiming any benefits. No payment is made until the required TRS forms are complete.
How much is the TRS death benefit for a retiree?
The beneficiary of a retiree gets a $10,000 lump sum. It's paid on top of any Option One to Five payments that continue. Instead of the $10,000, a spouse, minor children or a dependent parent can choose $2,500 plus a monthly payment.
What does TRS pay if a member dies before retiring?
If the member worked for a TRS-covered employer in the school year they died, the beneficiary picks one of five plans. These are twice the member's salary (up to $80,000), 60 monthly payments, a lifetime annuity, a refund of the member's contributions, or $2,500 plus a monthly payment. The 60-payment and lifetime plans need at least five years of service credit.
Who gets the benefit if no beneficiary was named?
If there's no valid beneficiary form on file, Texas law decides. The surviving spouse comes first. If there's no spouse, TRS pays other relatives in the order set by law, and if there are none, the member's estate.
Does a divorce remove an ex-spouse as beneficiary?
No, not automatically. To remove a former spouse named before the divorce, TRS needs either a new beneficiary form signed after the divorce and received before the member's death, or a certified copy of the divorce decree received before any death benefit is paid.
Are TRS death benefits taxable?
Usually, yes. They aren't life insurance, so they're generally subject to federal income tax. The exception is the $160,000 benefit paid when a member dies because of a physical assault on the job; it's a line-of-duty benefit that isn't subject to federal income tax.
Can a retiree change their beneficiary?
For the lump-sum survivor benefit, yes, as many times as they like. The beneficiary of an Option One, Two or Five annuity can be changed only once, and only if certain conditions are met. For Options Three and Four, the beneficiary can be changed at any time during the guaranteed period.
Can TRS pay the death benefit straight to a funeral home?
No. TRS benefits, including death and survivor benefits, can't be assigned. For example, you can't assign them to a funeral home to pay for a funeral.
Planning ahead? The payment option you pick at retirement decides what your beneficiary gets each month. Compare the standard annuity and Options 1-5 in dollars →
When you're ready, the calculator can show each option using your own pension and your beneficiary's age.
Source: TRS Benefits Handbook, September 2025, pp. 9, 13, 15, 18, 20-22, 32-36, 44-49, 54-56. Last reviewed .