FRS Beneficiary Designation Forms: BEN-001, FST-12, and IPBEN-1 Explained

The FRS doesn't use a single beneficiary form. There are three different forms for three different situations, and filing the wrong one does nothing. Active members use one form, retirees and DROP participants use another, and Investment Plan participants use a third—each administered by a different office.

If the person who died never updated the right form after a marriage, divorce, or birth, the payout may not go where the family expects.

Form BEN-001: Active Pension Plan Members

Form BEN-001 is the beneficiary designation for active employees enrolled in the FRS Pension Plan who have not yet retired. It names who receives death benefits if the member dies while still working.

Filed with the Division of Retirement. The member can update it at any time during active employment.

Key rule: Under Florida law, a member's current spouse is automatically the primary beneficiary for active vested members unless a new BEN-001 is filed after the marriage. If a member married after filing their last BEN-001, the spouse takes priority over whoever was previously named—even without a form update.

Form FST-12: Retirees and DROP Participants

Form FST-12 is the beneficiary designation for retired members and members participating in DROP. It controls who receives:

• Any remaining employee contribution refund under Option 1
• The remaining guaranteed payments under Option 2
• The DROP accumulated balance

Note what FST-12 does not control: the joint annuitant for Options 3 and 4 was locked in at retirement and cannot be changed through this form. FST-12 only governs lump-sum and refund distributions, not the ongoing monthly benefit continuation.

Filed with the Division of Retirement. Retirees and DROP participants can update it at any time.

Form IPBEN-1: Investment Plan Members

Form IPBEN-1 is the beneficiary designation for the FRS Investment Plan. It names who receives the defined contribution account balance upon the member's death.

Filed with Alight Solutions (the Investment Plan administrator) through myfrs.com or by mail.

Key rule: The current spouse is automatically the primary beneficiary for Investment Plan accounts unless the spouse executes a formal written waiver allowing a different designation. Even if the member names someone else, the spouse's waiver must be on file or the designation doesn't hold.

What Happens When No Form Is on File

If an Investment Plan member dies without a valid beneficiary designation, the account defaults through the statutory order under Florida Statutes Section 121.091(8):

1. Surviving spouse
2. Living children
3. Surviving parents
4. The member's estate

When benefits default to the estate, the process becomes significantly more complex. The Division requires an Estate EIN from the IRS, certified Letters of Administration from a Florida probate court, and an affidavit from the personal representative—which can add months to the claim timeline.

Death Benefit Claim Forms Are Different

Beneficiary designation forms (BEN-001, FST-12, IPBEN-1) are filed by the member while alive. Death benefit claim forms are filed by the survivor after the death:

• Form FST-11b: Application for monthly survivor pension benefits
• Form FST-11g: Application for lump-sum contribution refund or DROP balance
• Investment Plan Death Benefit Claim Form: Filed through Alight Solutions

Don't confuse the designation form with the claim form. The designation says who gets the benefit. The claim form is how that person actually collects it.

The Florida FRS Survivor Benefits Guide maps every form to its correct scenario, with step-by-step instructions for filing each claim type.

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