What to Do When an STRS Ohio Retiree Dies

Notify STRS Ohio Within Days, Not Weeks

The single most time-sensitive action after an Ohio retired teacher dies is contacting STRS Ohio. Call 888-227-7877 (toll-free, Monday through Friday) or submit the Death Notification application through the strsoh.org website. Either method freezes the account and starts the survivor claim process.

Speed matters because STRS Ohio issues pension payments via electronic funds transfer on the first banking day of each month. The retiree's benefit covers the full month in which they were alive, but any payment deposited for a month after death is an overpayment that STRS Ohio is legally required to recover. When the system receives the death notification, it sends an electronic recall to the bank for any post-death deposits.

Do not withdraw or transfer any pension deposits that arrive after the retiree's death. Leave the funds in the bank account so the automated recall can process cleanly.

Gather Documentation Early

While the notification is being processed, start collecting these documents:

• Certified death certificates: Order five to ten copies listing the cause and manner of death. STRS Ohio requires certified originals, not photocopies. You'll also need copies for Social Security, life insurance, and any financial institutions.
• Marriage certificate (for surviving spouses): The original or a certified copy proving the marital relationship.
• Birth certificates (for surviving children): Required for children claiming dependent-based benefits.
• Court guardianship orders (if applicable): Needed when benefits are payable to minor children.
• The retiree's most recent STRS Ohio correspondence: Any letters showing the Plan of Payment selection, beneficiary designation, or health care enrollment help orient the conversation with STRS staff.

What Arrives in the Survivor Benefit Packet

After processing the death notification, STRS Ohio mails a customized Survivor Benefit Packet to the primary beneficiary or claimant on file. This packet includes:

• Claim forms specific to the retiree's plan type and Plan of Payment
• A Federal Tax Withholding Certificate (Form W-4P) for new monthly benefit recipients
• Health care enrollment or continuation forms, if applicable
• Direct deposit authorization for survivor payments
• Instructions for any applicable $1,000 statutory death benefit claim

The processing timeline varies, but families should expect 30 to 90 days from notification to first survivor payment. STRS Ohio may issue partial benefit payments while the full claim is being processed.

Parallel Actions Outside STRS Ohio

Reporting the death to STRS doesn't cover everything. These parallel steps need attention during the same period:

Social Security Administration (800-772-1213): Ohio teachers did not pay Social Security taxes on STRS-covered earnings, but surviving spouses may still qualify for Social Security survivor benefits based on the deceased teacher's non-STRS work history or their own work record. With the 2025 repeal of the Government Pension Offset, full Social Security survivor benefits are now available without reduction. File a new claim if one was never submitted.

Medicare: If the retiree was enrolled in Medicare, report the death to CMS. If the surviving spouse is 65 or older and enrolled in STRS health care, confirm that Medicare Part B enrollment remains active — STRS requires Part B as a condition of continued health coverage.

The retiree's bank: Notify the bank that the account holder has died. Ask whether any STRS deposits arrived after the date of death and confirm that those funds will remain accessible for the electronic recall.

Life insurance and other benefits: Check for group life insurance through former employers, personal life insurance policies, and any veterans' benefits.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Withdrawing post-death deposits: When a pension payment arrives after the retiree's death, the instinct is to use it or move it. Don't. STRS Ohio may issue an electronic recall for overpayments. If funds have already been withdrawn, contact STRS Ohio promptly for instructions on resolving the overpayment.

Assuming the pension automatically continues: Whether monthly payments continue depends entirely on which Plan of Payment the retiree selected at retirement. Plan I (Single Life Annuity) stops at death with no continuing monthly benefit. Only Plan II (Joint and Survivor) and Plan III (Annuity Certain) provide ongoing payments. If you don't know which plan was chosen, STRS can confirm it over the phone once they verify your identity.

Waiting to report: Some families delay notification because they fear an immediate account freeze will cut off funds. STRS pays for the full month in which the retiree was alive — a mid-month death doesn't trigger a clawback for that month's payment. Delayed reporting only increases the overpayment if another month's deposit posts before the recall is initiated.

The STRS Ohio Survivor Benefits Guide organizes every step from death notification through first payment, with document checklists and benefit comparison worksheets for each decision point.

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