Life Changes

You may be considered eligible if you:

• Have at least five years of total service credit
• Apply no later than two years from the date your contributing service ends
• Are permanently disabled, physically or mentally, from performing your SERS-covered job, as determined by a SERS-appointed physician
• Became disabled after becoming a SERS member
• Have not received a refund of your contributions
• Are not receiving a service retirement benefit

• You are receiving a disability benefit from another Ohio retirement system
• The disabling condition resulted from the commission of a felony
• The condition occurred after SERS-covered employment ended

To qualify your beneficiary for monthly survivor benefits, you must:

• Have at least 1.5 years of contributing service credit
• Have earned at least 0.25 years of Ohio service credit within the 2.5 years before death (This requirement is waived if  you are receiving a disability benefit from another Ohio retirement system at time of death or are eligible to retire.)
• Not be receiving a regular retirement benefit

Most members find that the succession of beneficiaries prescribed by Ohio law meets their requirements. This succession is as follows:

1. Surviving spouse
2. Surviving children (shared equally)
3. Dependent parent age 65 or older
4. Parents (shared equally)
5. Estate

If this order does not meet your needs, you may designate a beneficiary by updating your account through Account Login. Each new designation revokes all previous ones.

If, at the time of your death, you are survived by qualified children, they may receive monthly benefits, regardless of your designation. A qualified child is any: unmarried natural or legally adopted child under the age of 19, or regardless of age, if adjudged physically or mentally incompetent.

Eligible beneficiaries may include:

• Surviving spouse, age 62 or older, or any age with 10 or more years of service credit
• Surviving spouse at any age with minor child(ren)
• Disabled spouse or child at any age
• Natural or legally adopted children under age 19
• Dependent parent(s) age 65 or older

In order to be eligible for SERS disability, the spouse and/or child are required to be examined by a SERS-appointed physician, who will make the medical determination.

Benefits for a child or dependent parent may change or end if eligibility requirements are no longer met, including events such as marriage, military service, adoption, or death of a beneficiary.

A member’s spouse who had less than 10 years of service credit may have benefits suspended if the spouse is younger than age 62 and began receiving benefits because the spouse was caring for qualified children. This “blackout” period begins when the last child becomes ineligible for benefits and lasts until the spouse reaches age 62. Benefits will end when the spouse dies.

If the member had service in a job covered by STRS or OPERS, qualified survivors must combine the member’s service credit and accounts in all the systems to receive a survivor benefit. The system with the greatest service credit pays the benefit.

Survivors may purchase service credit the member was eligible to buy, including military service, refunded SERS service, and certain public employment.

Update your personal information and beneficiary designation through Account Login.

If you are single at retirement, select Plan B, and then marry after retirement, you can select a new plan providing for your new spouse. Changes must be made within one year of marriage.

Congratulations on the new addition to your family! Update your family records through Account Login.

Retirement benefits earned during marriage are considered marital property under Ohio law.

If you divorce your spouse before you retire, the termination of marriage automatically revokes the member’s last beneficiary designation. SERS survivor benefits are paid as authorized in Ohio Revised Code sections 3309.44 and 3309.45. SERS has no legal duty or authority to require a SERS member to comply with the terms of a divorce or dissolution decree or separation agreement in relation to a SERS account.

However, under Ohio Revised Code section 3309.46(B)(1) and Ohio Administrative Rule 3309-1-62, SERS must require a member to elect a joint life retirement plan with the former spouse as beneficiary if prior to retirement: (1) SERS has been provided with a copy of a court order requiring such election, and (2) the order specifies the percentage of the member’s retirement allowance to continue to the former spouse after the member’s death.

A DOPO may require SERS to pay a portion of your benefit, including to a former spouse.

Your ex-spouse cannot receive payment until your payment begins, and payment must be in the same manner you receive (lump sum or monthly). Payments cannot exceed 50% of your original benefit.

Please send SERS a copy of your court-ordered DOPO if your divorce decree requires it. You should discuss these matters with your attorney if you are in the process of filing for a divorce.

Support Withholding Orders

Court-ordered support payments may be withheld from pension payments. Regardless of the number of support orders that SERS receives or the total amount of support ordered to be paid, the total amount deducted from your pension cannot exceed 50% of your original payment amount.

Plan of Payment Required

You may be required by a court order to select a retirement plan that provides a continuing benefit to your ex-spouse in the event of your death.

This order must be issued as part of your divorce proceedings, provide for payment of a specified amount to your spouse, and be received by SERS prior to the effective date of your retirement. If this type of order is issued, you must select a payment plan that complies with the court order.