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  • Survivor Benefits and Remarrying

    Jun 7, 2021, 9:44 AM By MOSERS
    I am receiving survivor benefits from my husband who died in 2009. I am considering remarrying. If I do, will I continue to receive the monthly benefit?

    Yes, since your spouse elected a survivor benefit for you at retirement, you will continue to receive your survivor benefits each month for your life, even if you remarry.

    Please update your personal information with us if your name, address or bank information changes. You can do so by contacting us and our benefit staff will assist you. Also, please be sure to review and update, if necessary, who you have designated to receive your final survivor benefit payment. Your final benefit payment is paid on the last working day of the month in which you die.

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  • Refund of Contributions for Beneficiaries

    Jul 21, 2020, 3:39 PM By MOSERS
    I’m a member of the MSEP 2011 retirement plan. As required, I have paid in 4% for almost nine years of service to the state totaling in excess of $10,000. I am currently a retiree as of 2020 and I’m receiving a pension. If I die before I’ve received at least $10,000 of my 4% contributions through the pension plan are my beneficiaries eligible for a refund?
    Thank you.

    Yes. You or your beneficiary or a survivor will receive, at minimum, benefit payments or a refund in an amount equal to what you contributed and any interest credited thereon, less any benefits received. 

    For example, let’s assume the following (numbers rounded for simplicity):

    • Your member contributions plus interest (earned on your contributions while you were actively employed) equaled $10,000.
    • You retired and you receive a monthly benefit of $800 per month.
    • During the 10th month, unfortunately, you pass away.
    • We will pay your final benefit payment at the end of the month in which you die to the person or entity you designated to receive your final benefit payment. At this point, MOSERS would have paid $8,000 in benefits.
    • If you elected a benefit payment option on your Election Form resulting in a spouse or someone else becoming eligible to receive a benefit based on your service, MOSERS would begin payments to that person, according to the election you made.
    • If you elected the Life Income Annuity, which has no ongoing survivor benefits, then the person or entity you designated to receive a refund of your member contributions would receive the balance of $2,000.
    • If you died without designating a beneficiary, we would pay the refund in the following order to your:
      • Surviving spouse (to whom you were married at the time of death)
      • Surviving children (divided equally)
      • Surviving parents (divided equally)
      • Surviving brothers and sisters (divided equally)

    If there are no eligible family members, your final benefit payment will be paid as otherwise permitted by law.

    You can log in to myMOSERS to check and/or update your Final Payment Beneficiary and/or Contribution Beneficiaries under Forms from your Member Homepage. Feel free to contact MOSERS with any questions for additional assistance. 

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We strive to provide the most accurate information possible in our answers to Rumor Central questions. However, occasionally, laws, policies or provisions change and individual circumstances may vary. Please contact a MOSERS benefit counselor or see the handbooks in our website Library for more detailed information. If there is any difference between the information provided in this blog or on the MOSERS website and the law or policies that govern MOSERS, the law and policies will prevail. See our Privacy, Security & Legal Notices for more information.