Beneficiary Designation for Retirees

At the time of hire and following major life events, including marriage, divorce, births, and deaths, ERSRI encourages active employees and retirees to review the beneficiary information on their retirement account. ERSRI does not receive beneficiary information from employers.

For active and retired members, the pension system pays a death benefit to your designated beneficiary. The death benefit is a one-time payment of $800 per full year of service, up to a maximum of $16,000. Following retirement, the benefit is reduced by 25% each year with a minimum benefit of $4,000.

You may name one or more beneficiaries. A Primary Beneficiary is the person who will receive a death benefit. You can name multiple primary beneficiaries, and the system will split your benefit among all primary beneficiaries. A Contingent Beneficiary (or beneficiaries) will only receive a death benefit if all primary beneficiaries are deceased.

How-to video on designating or changing your beneficiary

Beneficiary information video

Run time: 1:44 minutes

Added: June 2022

Watch the video: How to designate a beneficiary

How to Review Your ERSRI Beneficiary Information Online

For members who have registered for online access to their retirement accounts, you can review your designations by simply logging into the ERSRI Member Portal, navigating to the “My Pension” section, and selecting “View My Pension Profile”.

 

Updating Your ERSRI Beneficiary

You may change or update your beneficiary for the death benefit payment at any time by downloading and completing the Beneficiary Designation form below, which contains detailed step-by-step instructions. Please note that this form must be notarized before it is submitted to ERSRI.

Beneficiary Designation Form
Beneficiary Designation Form

Use this form to designate or change the beneficiary of your benefits.

Completed forms may be sent to ERSRI by mail or delivered to the address listed on the form. Beneficiary forms submitted by fax or email will not be processed.

If you do not have access to a printer, please call the Member Service Center to request that this form be sent to you by mail.

If you selected a joint and survivor pension payment option (Option 1 or Option 2) at the time of your retirement, you may not change the beneficiary you selected to receive your ongoing pension payment after your death.

TIAA Beneficiary Designation

If you worked after June 30, 2012 for an employer participating in ERSRI and have an account with TIAA, please remember to update your TIAA beneficiary information as well. To change your beneficiary online, please visit www.tiaa.org/beneficiary. If you need further assistance with your TIAA beneficiary designation, please contact TIAA at (800) 842-2252.

HARTFORD Life Insurance Beneficiary Designation

Use the HARTFORD Life Insurance Beneficiary Designation form if you would like to name a new beneficiary on your HARTFORD policy. This form must be sent directly to the HARTFORD Insurance address located on the form.

HARTFORD Life Insurance Beneficiary Designation form
HARTFORD Life Insurance Beneficiary Designation form

Download to update the beneficiary for your HARTFORD life insurance policy