IMRF Death Benefits

The death benefits detailed on this page apply to the Regular IMRF Plan and the SLEP Plan. If you participate in the ECO plan, you can read about your death benefits here.

Table of contents:

• Factors determining death benefit amount
• Death is job-related
• Death is not job-related
• Surviving spouse death benefits

Factors determining a death benefit amount

The amount payable as an IMRF death benefits is dependent upon the member's years of service credit and participation status. IMRF members do not contribute toward the cost of their IMRF death benefit. Such benefit is paid entirely by IMRF employers.

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Death is job-related

If you are currently participating in IMRF:

If you die while participating in IMRF, on seasonal leave or on IMRF Benefit Protection Leave and your death is job related, a lump sum death benefit is paid to your beneficiary(ies) regardless of your years of service credit. The lump sum is equal to one year's earnings plus any balance in your member account (member contributions plus interest less any benefit prepayments).

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Death is not job-related

If you are currently participating in IMRF:

• Less than one year of service credit, your member contributions (less any benefit prepayments) are refunded to your beneficiary(ies).
• More than one year of service credit, a lump sum death benefit is paid to your beneficiary(ies). The lump sum is equal to one year's earnings plus plus any balance in your member account (member contributions plus interest less any benefit prepayments).
• Eight or more years of service credit, your surviving spouse may choose a monthly surviving spouse pension plus a $3,000 payment, instead of a lump sum death benefit (one year's earnings plus any balance in your member account (member contributions plus interest less any benefit prepayments)).

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Surviving spouse pension

For your spouse to be eligible for the monthly surviving spouse pension and $3,000 payment, he or she must have been married to you for at least one year prior to your death, and you must have named your spouse as your sole primary beneficiary.

The amount of the surviving spouse benefit is always 50% of IMRF's Standard (straight life) plan, regardless of whether the member chose the Optional pension benefit plan or the Standard plan when he or she retired. the surviving spouse benefit will be based on the standard plan,