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.