Life Changes

You may be considered eligible if you:

• Have at least five years of total service credit
• Apply no later than two years from the date your contributing service ends
• Are permanently disabled, physically or mentally, from performing your SERS-covered job, as determined by a SERS-appointed physician
• Became disabled after becoming a SERS member
• Have not received a refund of your contributions
• Are not receiving a service retirement benefit

• You are receiving a disability benefit from another Ohio retirement system
• The disabling condition resulted from the commission of a felony
• The condition occurred after SERS-covered employment ended

To qualify your beneficiary for monthly survivor benefits, you must:

• Have at least 1.5 years of contributing service credit
• Have earned at least 0.25 years of Ohio service credit within the 2.5 years before death (waived if receiving a disability benefit from another Ohio retirement system at the time of death or if eligible to retire)
• Not be receiving a regular retirement benefit

Most members find that Ohio law’s succession of beneficiaries meets their needs: surviving spouse, surviving children (shared equally), dependent parent age 65 or older, parents (shared equally), estate.

If this order does not meet your needs, designate a beneficiary through Account Login. Each new designation revokes all previous ones.

Eligible beneficiaries may include:

• Surviving spouse, age 62 or older, or any age with 10 or more years of service credit
• Surviving spouse at any age with minor child(ren)
• Disabled spouse or child at any age
• Natural or legally adopted children under age 19
• Dependent parent(s) age 65 or older

The spouse and/or child must be examined by a SERS-appointed physician who will make the medical determination.

Benefits for a child or dependent parent may change or end when 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 due to caring for qualified children. This period begins when the last child becomes ineligible and lasts until the spouse reaches age 62.

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 at retirement.

If the member had service covered by STRS or OPERS, qualified survivors must combine the member’s service credit and accounts in all systems to receive a survivor benefit. The system with the greatest service credit pays the benefit.

Survivors may also purchase service credit the member was eligible to buy, including military service, refunded SERS service, and certain public employment.