FRS Survivor Options: What Happens to a Florida State Pension After Death

Your spouse spent decades as a Florida teacher, firefighter, or state worker. Their pension was supposed to provide security for both of you. Now they're gone, and you're staring at a letter from the Division of Retirement asking you to make a decision you've never heard of — and you can't undo it once you choose.

The Florida Retirement System (FRS) covers more than 175,000 active state employees plus hundreds of thousands of retirees. When a member dies, the rules that govern what survivors receive are specific, not obvious, and depend almost entirely on two things: which FRS plan the member was in, and whether they had already retired when they died.

Two Plans, Two Completely Different Processes

The FRS has two distinct plans. The rules for survivors are not interchangeable.

The Pension Plan is the traditional defined-benefit plan. The member earns a guaranteed monthly benefit based on years of service and salary. When a Pension Plan member dies, the survivor's outcome depends heavily on what options were selected — or what hadn't happened yet.

The Investment Plan is a defined-contribution plan, similar to a 401(k). The member accumulates an account balance over their career. When an Investment Plan member dies, that account balance passes directly to the named beneficiary. There are no annuitant options to navigate, no lifetime benefit elections — the balance goes to whoever is named on file, subject to the usual beneficiary designation rules.

If you're not sure which plan your spouse was in, call the Division of Retirement at 1-844-377-1888 and have the member's Social Security number ready.

If the Member Died Before Retirement: The Vesting Threshold Matters

When a Pension Plan member dies before they've started collecting benefits, the first question is whether they were vested. Under FRS, vesting typically requires 8 years of creditable service.

If the member was not yet vested at death, the joint annuitant generally receives a refund of the member's contributions plus interest — nothing more.

If the member was vested, the joint annuitant faces a genuine choice between two benefit structures. This is where families need to pay close attention.

Option A — Lump-sum refund: The joint annuitant can elect to receive all of the member's accumulated contributions returned as a lump sum. This gives immediate cash but permanently ends any ongoing monthly benefit.

Option B — Lifetime monthly benefit: The joint annuitant can instead elect to receive a monthly benefit for life. This is typically the wiser long-term financial choice for a surviving spouse who is younger or who expects to live many years, but it requires giving up the lump sum entirely.

These are irrevocable decisions. You cannot change your mind after you elect.

The Option Structure for Retirees Who Already Had Benefits in Pay

If the member had already retired and was receiving monthly FRS benefits, what the survivor receives depends on which payment option the member selected at retirement. FRS Pension Plan retirees choose from four options at retirement:

Option 1 provides the highest monthly benefit to the retiree but pays nothing to the joint annuitant after the retiree's death. If your spouse selected Option 1, your monthly benefit stops at their death.

Option 2 pays the joint annuitant a one-time lump sum equal to the member's accumulated contributions, then stops monthly payments.

Option 3 is a joint-and-survivor option. The retiree receives a reduced monthly benefit during their lifetime, and the joint annuitant continues to receive that same full amount for the rest of their life after the retiree dies. This option provides the strongest ongoing protection for a surviving spouse.

Option 4 is also joint-and-survivor, but structured differently: both the retiree and the joint annuitant receive the same amount during the retiree's lifetime, then when either party dies, the survivor receives two-thirds of that amount going forward.

The retiree locked in one of these options on the day they retired. The survivor cannot change it after the fact.

Non-Spouse Annuitants and the Age 25 Rule

Not every joint annuitant is a spouse. FRS allows members to designate non-spouse joint annuitants — adult children, siblings, domestic partners. The rules differ.

A non-spouse joint annuitant who is under age 25 at the time benefits begin will only receive monthly payments until they turn 25, unless they are permanently and totally disabled. After age 25, payments stop. This catches families off guard when a member designates a young adult child expecting that child to receive lifetime benefits.

What to Do Immediately

The Division of Retirement does not automatically notify every survivor when a member dies. The burden falls on the family to make contact. Delays can result in missed payments or complications.

Call 1-844-377-1888 as soon as possible after the death. Have the member's Social Security number and your own identification available. The Division will explain what options exist for your specific situation, walk through the benefit calculation under each option, and send the formal election paperwork.

Do not make any election without understanding the numbers. FRS offers free financial counseling through Ernst & Young (EY) for members and survivors — the Division can connect you with that resource at no cost. A one-hour call with an EY advisor to model out the lifetime income difference between a lump sum and a monthly benefit is worth doing before you commit.

Once you elect, the choice is permanent.

Documents Typically Required

When contacting the Division, expect to provide:

• A certified copy of the death certificate
• Your own government-issued photo ID
• Marriage certificate or documentation of joint annuitant status
• The deceased member's FRS member ID or Social Security number

Processing times vary, but the Division works directly with survivors on the timeline.

If you're navigating FRS survivor benefits alongside other Florida survivor benefit systems — Social Security, life insurance, or a potential workers' compensation claim — the decisions interact. The Florida Survivor Benefits Navigator walks through all of these systems in sequence, with the specific forms, deadlines, and contacts for each.

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