STRS Ohio Survivor Benefits: What Families Need to Know

Two Paths, One System

STRS Ohio survivor benefits split into two fundamentally different tracks depending on whether the member died while actively teaching or after retiring. Understanding which track applies determines every decision that follows.

When an active member dies with at least five years of qualifying service credit, qualified survivors — a spouse, unmarried children under 22, incapacitated adult children, or dependent parents — can choose between monthly survivor annuity payments and a one-time lump-sum refund of the member's accumulated contributions. The monthly benefit is calculated using whichever of three formulas (dependent-based, service-based, or retirement-based) produces the highest amount under ORC 3307.66.

When a service retiree dies, there is no formula choice. Monthly benefits continue — or stop — based strictly on the Plan of Payment the retiree selected at retirement. A Plan I Single Life Annuity pays the maximum while the retiree is alive but ceases at death. A Plan II Joint and Survivor Annuity continues payments to the named beneficiary at 100%, 50%, or a designated amount, depending on the option chosen.

Who Qualifies as a Survivor

STRS Ohio defines "qualified survivors" under statutory rules, not informal family relationships. A surviving spouse qualifies automatically. Children qualify if they are unmarried and under age 22, or if they were adjudged physically or mentally incapacitated before age 22. Dependent parents qualify if they received at least 50% of their financial support from the member.

If the member died without a valid beneficiary designation on file — or if a life event like marriage, divorce, or the birth of a child automatically revoked a prior designation — benefits follow a statutory order: surviving spouse first, then qualified children, then dependent parents, then non-qualified children (lump sum only), then parents, then the estate.

Active Member Survivor Formulas

For active-member deaths, the three calculation methods serve different family situations:

Dependent-based: A percentage of the member's Final Average Salary determined by the number of qualified survivors. One survivor receives 25% of FAS, two get 40%, three get 50%, four get 55%, and five or more get 60%.

Service-based: Available when the member had 20 or more years of service credit. The percentage starts at 29% of FAS for 20 years and climbs to 60% for 29+ years.

Retirement-based: Available when the member met age-and-service retirement eligibility at death. This calculates the benefit as though the member retired and selected Plan II Option 1 (100% continuation to the beneficiary).

STRS Ohio automatically applies whichever formula yields the highest monthly benefit.

What Happens Under a Retiree's Plan of Payment

For retiree deaths, the plan selection made at retirement is the entire story:

• Plan I (Single Life Annuity): Monthly payments end permanently. If total payments didn't exceed the member's accumulated contributions, the remaining balance goes to the beneficiary as a lump sum.
• Plan II (Joint and Survivor): Payments continue to the primary beneficiary — at the percentage the retiree chose at retirement.
• Plan III (Annuity Certain): If the retiree dies before the guaranteed period expires, payments continue to the beneficiary for the remaining years.

The designated death benefit beneficiary of a DB service retiree also receives a separate $1,000 statutory death benefit, which is nontaxable.

Health Care Continuation

Survivor access to the STRS Ohio Health Care Program depends on the deceased member's total service credit. Members who retired or died as active members on or after August 1, 2023, must have had at least 20 years of total service credit for survivors to participate. Earlier retirees needed 15 years.

Survivors enrolled in STRS health care must enroll in Medicare Part B at age 65. Declining Part B means losing STRS health coverage entirely. For 2025 and 2026, STRS applies a $30 monthly Medicare Part B credit against the medical plan premium.

Social Security After the GPO Repeal

The Social Security Fairness Act, signed January 5, 2025, repealed the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision retroactively to January 2024. Ohio teachers didn't pay Social Security taxes on STRS-covered earnings, so these offsets once reduced or eliminated Social Security spousal and survivor benefits entirely.

With the repeal, surviving spouses can now claim full Social Security survivor benefits alongside their STRS Ohio survivor pension. If you were already receiving a reduced Social Security benefit, SSA recalculated and paid retroactive adjustments. If you never applied because GPO would have zeroed your benefit, you must file a new application directly with SSA — it is not automatic.

Starting the Claim

The first step after a death is notifying STRS Ohio by calling 888-227-7877 or submitting the online Death Notification application at strsoh.org. This freezes the account, stops automated direct deposits, and triggers the Survivor Benefit Packet. Secure at least five certified copies of the death certificate — you'll need them for STRS, Social Security, and other agencies.

The STRS Ohio Survivor Benefits Guide walks through every step of the claim process — from reporting the death through benefit election, health care enrollment, and tax paperwork — organized by whether the death was an active member or retiree.

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