A primer on beneficiaries

Plan carefully when choosing someone to receive future OPERS benefits

By Michael Pramik, Ohio Public Employees Retirement System

July 16, 2026 – Naming a beneficiary isn’t something most people think about very often. But keeping your beneficiary information up to date is one of the most important things you can do to help protect your loved ones.

Whether you’re just beginning your career, approaching retirement or already retired, it’s worth taking a few minutes to review your beneficiary designation. A marriage, divorce, the birth or adoption of a child, or the death of a loved one are all good reasons to make sure your information is current.

Choosing your beneficiaries during your career

Members or retirees may designate a specific beneficiary to receive certain benefits before and after retirement. During your career, you can name a person, persons, trust, estate or an institution as your beneficiary. If you designate a trust, estate, institution or multiple beneficiaries, your account will be refunded in a lump sum unless there are qualified children who are eligible to receive monthly benefits.

You can designate and/or update your beneficiaries at any time through your online account or by completing a Designation of Beneficiary form.

If you don’t name a beneficiary, Ohio law determines who will receive any benefits that may be payable. Generally, benefits are paid according to a statutory order of succession, beginning with a surviving spouse, then children, followed by parents and, if none exist, your estate.

It’s also important to know that certain life events can affect a beneficiary designation under Ohio law. Marriage, divorce, dissolution of marriage, legal separation, or the birth or adoption of a child may invalidate a previous designation. If one of these events occurs, review your beneficiary information and make any necessary updates. If not, the beneficiary will be determined by automatic succession.

If you take a refund of your account, your beneficiary designation is automatically canceled.

Choosing your beneficiaries at retirement

When you apply for OPERS retirement benefits, you will be asked to name the beneficiaries that apply in your retirement.

The beneficiaries you choose depend in part on the payment plan you select. Refer to the Retiring from Public Employment information on our website for more information.

What benefits could your beneficiaries receive?

The benefits available to your beneficiaries depend on your OPERS retirement plan and whether you should die before or after retirement.

If you die while actively employed or while receiving a disability benefit, your beneficiaries may qualify for survivor benefits. Under the Traditional Pension Plan and Combined Plan, you generally must have at least 18 months of qualifying service, including at least three months within the 2½ years before your death. If those requirements are met, eligible beneficiaries may choose between a lump-sum refund of your account or, if they qualify, a monthly survivor benefit based on a percentage of your final average salary.

The Member-Directed Plan does not provide monthly survivor benefits. Instead, the vested balance of your individual account is paid to your beneficiaries as a one-time lump-sum distribution. In addition, eligible dependents, including a legal spouse or eligible children, may be able to use the vested balance of your retiree medical account to pay qualified medical expenses.

Review your beneficiaries today

Keeping your beneficiary information current is one of the simplest ways to help ensure your wishes are carried out. If you haven’t reviewed your designation recently, now is a good time to do so.

To learn more about survivor benefits and beneficiary eligibility, review the Survivor Benefits leaflet or contact OPERS Member Services at 1-800-222-7377.