STRS Ohio Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for Survivor Benefits

COLA Is Back — Here's How It Affects Survivor Payments

After years of suspension during STRS Ohio's pension stabilization period, cost-of-living adjustments have been restored. The State Teachers Retirement Board approved a 2.5% COLA for calendar year 2025 and fiscal year 2026, and this applies to survivors receiving monthly pension benefits.

If you're receiving a monthly survivor annuity from STRS Ohio, here's what the restored COLA means for your payments.

The Five-Year Waiting Period

For a continuing retiree benefit, the COLA becomes payable on the fifth anniversary of the member's retirement date. For a survivor benefit after an active member's death, contact STRS Ohio to confirm the applicable date.

If the member retired in 2022, the fifth anniversary is in 2027. If the member retired in 2015 and died in 2025, the survivor's continuing payment follows the COLA history already applied to the retiree's benefit.

For a retiree's survivor benefit, use the member's retirement date rather than the date the survivor began receiving payments. STRS Ohio's board-approved COLA rules set the current timing.

How the 2.5% COLA Is Calculated

The board-approved COLA is 2.5% for calendar year 2025 and fiscal year 2026. For a $1,800 monthly benefit to which a full 2.5% adjustment applies, that adjustment is $45 per month ($1,800 × 0.025).

STRS Ohio approved the 2.5% rate for those two periods; do not project that rate into later years without checking the board's current COLA action.

COLA During the Suspension Period

STRS Ohio suspended COLA payments during the pension stabilization effort following Senate Bill 342. The 2025 restoration specifies the approved rate for calendar year 2025 and fiscal year 2026; check your STRS payment history for the adjustments applied to your benefit.

This is a common source of confusion. If the member retired in 2010 and died in 2025, review the STRS benefit statement for the COLA adjustments applied to the retiree's benefit rather than projecting an uninterrupted annual increase.

What Survivors Should Check

If you're receiving monthly survivor benefits from STRS Ohio:

1. Verify the member's retirement date — that starts the fifth-anniversary clock for a continuing retiree benefit; for an active-member survivor benefit, ask STRS Ohio which date applies
2. Check the payment after the fifth anniversary of the member's retirement date — call STRS Ohio if the adjustment is not reflected
3. Review your annual benefit statement — STRS Ohio issues statements that show the base benefit, COLA adjustments, and current monthly amount
4. Contact STRS Ohio at 888-227-7877 if the applicable fifth-anniversary date has passed and your benefit has not been adjusted

For the full framework on how survivor benefit amounts are calculated — including dependent-based, service-based, and retirement-based formulas — see The STRS Ohio Survivor Benefits Guide.

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