Life doesn’t always follow a straight path. SERS offers disability benefits, survivor benefits, and account support to help you and your family navigate unexpected changes throughout your career and beyond.
The information on this page is designed to help you understand your options, eligibility requirements, and the steps you may need to take during important life events.
Update beneficiary designations, personal information, and more through Account Login.
If illness or injury prevents you from continuing in your SERS-covered position, disability benefits may be available to provide financial support. This section covers payment of benefits, the application process, termination of disability benefits, and service credit during a disability period.
You may be considered eligible if you:
The Survivor Benefits Program helps provide financial support to your spouse or dependents in the event of your premature death. Under this program, qualified survivors may receive monthly benefits or a refund of your accumulated contributions.
To qualify your beneficiary for monthly survivor benefits, you must:
Most members find that Ohio law’s statutory succession meets their needs: surviving spouse, surviving children (shared equally), dependent parent age 65 or older, parents (shared equally), estate.
To designate a different beneficiary, update your account through Account Login. Each new designation revokes all previous ones.
If you are survived by qualified children, they may receive monthly benefits regardless of your designation. A qualified child is any unmarried natural or legally adopted child under age 19, or regardless of age if adjudged physically or mentally incompetent.
Eligible beneficiaries may include:
The spouse and/or child are required to be examined by a SERS-appointed physician, who will make the medical determination.
Benefits for a child or dependent parent may change or end if eligibility requirements are no longer met, including events such as marriage, military service, adoption, or death of a beneficiary.
A spouse’s benefits may be suspended during a “blackout” period if the spouse is under age 62 and was receiving benefits because the spouse was caring for qualified children. This period begins when the last child becomes ineligible and lasts until the spouse reaches age 62. Benefits will end when the spouse dies.
Monthly survivor benefits are paid under Schedule I, II, or III, whichever provides the greatest benefit. If there are no qualified children, the spouse or other beneficiary may elect a lump-sum refund of the member’s contributions instead of monthly benefits.
If the member is eligible for service retirement at death but has not yet retired, a surviving spouse or dependent beneficiary may elect a monthly benefit equal to what the member could have provided the beneficiary at retirement.
Combining Service Credit: If the member had service covered by STRS or OPERS, qualified survivors must combine the member’s service credit and accounts in all systems. The system with the greatest service credit pays the benefit.
Purchasing Service Credit: Survivors may purchase service credit the member was eligible to buy, including military service, refunded SERS service, and certain public employment.
Life events can affect your SERS benefits and beneficiary designations. Reporting changes promptly helps ensure your account remains accurate.
Update your personal information and beneficiary designation through Account Login.
If you are single at retirement, select Plan B, and then marry after retirement, you can select a new plan providing for your new spouse. Changes must be made within one year of marriage.
Congratulations on the new addition to your family! Update your family records through Account Login.
Retirement benefits earned during marriage are considered marital property under Ohio law. If you divorce before you retire, the termination of marriage automatically revokes your last beneficiary designation.
A DOPO may require SERS to pay a portion of your benefit to a former spouse. Your ex-spouse cannot receive payment until your payment begins, and payment must be in the same manner you receive. Payments cannot exceed 50% of your original benefit. Please send SERS a copy of your court-ordered DOPO if your divorce decree requires it. Discuss these matters with your attorney if you are filing for divorce.
Support Withholding Orders: Court-ordered support payments may be withheld from pension payments. The total amount deducted cannot exceed 50% of your original payment amount.
Plan of Payment Required: You may be required by court order to select a retirement plan that provides a continuing benefit to your ex-spouse. This order must be received by SERS prior to your retirement effective date.
Your death: A $1,000 lump-sum death benefit may be payable to your beneficiary, distributed equally among multiple beneficiaries. Statutory succession applies if no beneficiary is designated. Payment requires a death certificate and documentation.
Death of a spouse or beneficiary: Update your account through Account Login to reflect changes.
Life changes can be complex, and eligibility rules depend on timing and individual circumstances. We are here to help you understand your options and next steps.
