How should TRS be notified of a death of a retired member?
Please notify TRS in writing or by phone in the event of a death of a retired member. One copy of the deceased member’s death certificate will be required before any distribution can be made to beneficiaries. The funeral home normally provides several copies of the death certificate to the next of kin within a week of the member’s death. Upon notification of a member’s death, TRS will contact the beneficiary(s) directly with final settlement information. For retired members, the final settlement includes a $5,000 death benefit and any payment due in accordance with the retirement plan selected by the member when he or she retired. State statutes also provide that beneficiary(s) receive a last benefit check for the month in which the member died. Any and all payments issued to the deceased member for the month(s) after the date of death must be returned to TRS.
