Pension Survivor Benefits: What You're Entitled To

If your loved one had a traditional pension (also called a defined benefit plan) — common among government employees, teachers, firefighters, police officers, military personnel, and some private-sector workers — their surviving spouse or dependents may be entitled to ongoing monthly payments. These benefits can be substantial and long-lasting, yet they go unclaimed with surprising frequency.

This guide explains how pension survivor benefits work and how to claim them.

What Is a Pension Survivor Benefit?

Most defined benefit pension plans offer a "survivor annuity" — a monthly payment to the surviving spouse (or other designated beneficiary) when the pension holder dies. The amount and structure of this benefit depend on:

• The specific plan terms
• What the pension holder elected at retirement (or if they died before retirement)
• The relationship between the pension holder and the beneficiary

Pre-Retirement Death vs. Post-Retirement Death

If the pension holder had already retired

At retirement, pension holders typically choose between payout options. Common options include:

• Single life annuity — highest monthly payment, but benefits stop at death. No survivor benefit.
• Joint and survivor annuity — lower monthly payment during the pensioner's life, but a percentage (often 50%, 75%, or 100%) continues to the surviving spouse after death.
• Period certain annuity — payments continue for a guaranteed number of years (e.g., 10 or 20), regardless of whether the pensioner is alive.

If the deceased chose a single life annuity at retirement, there is typically no survivor benefit. If they chose a joint and survivor annuity, you should begin receiving the survivor portion automatically — though you'll need to notify the plan administrator of the death.

If the pension holder hadn't yet retired

Many plans offer a pre-retirement survivor benefit — a monthly payment to the surviving spouse if the pension holder dies before claiming benefits. This is often called the "Qualified Pre-Retirement Survivor Annuity" (QPSA) for plans covered by ERISA. Contact the plan administrator promptly to understand what's available.

Federal Employee and Military Pensions

CSRS and FERS (civilian federal employees)

Federal employees under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) have a Survivor Annuity. The surviving spouse typically receives 55% (CSRS) or 50% (FERS) of the employee's earned annuity. Apply through the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) at opm.gov, or call 1-888-767-6738.

Military retirement pay

The Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) allows retired service members to designate a beneficiary to receive up to 55% of their retirement pay after death. If your loved one was enrolled in SBP, you should receive payments automatically — but you'll need to report the death to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) at dfas.mil or 1-800-321-1080.

How to Claim Pension Survivor Benefits

1. Contact the pension plan administrator — the HR department of the employer, or the plan's administrative office. You'll need the deceased's name, employee ID or plan number, and your relationship.
2. Provide required documentation — typically the death certificate and your identification; for spousal claims, a marriage certificate
3. Complete the survivor benefit application forms
4. Provide banking information for direct deposit of the survivor annuity

Finding Unknown Pension Benefits

If you're not sure whether the deceased had a pension, check:

• Old pay stubs or employment records
• The deceased's tax returns (pension income appears on 1099-R)
• Former employer HR departments
• The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) at pbgc.gov — maintains a database of unclaimed pension benefits from terminated plans

For the full overview of benefits available to you, see our complete guide to survivor benefits. For Social Security survivor benefits (separate from pensions), see our article on Social Security survivor benefits.