- If you die before retiring, your spouse gets $300 a month plus $25 for each year of Connecticut service over 12 (up to $600), each child under 18 gets $300, and the family maximum is $1,500. A lump sum of $1,000 to $2,000 is also paid.Active Teachers' Handbook (2022), pp. 15-17; C.G.S. § 10-183h(a)-(b) (2026 Supp.)
- If you die after becoming eligible to retire, your spouse can instead take a lifetime benefit equal to Plan D 100%, or a refund of your contributions.C.G.S. § 10-183h(d) (2026 Supp.); Active Teachers' Handbook (2022), p. 18
Before you retire: monthly survivor benefits
If you die in service, within two months of leaving but before retiring, on a disability allowance, or on a contributing leave: monthly basic survivor benefits go to statutory survivors regardless of your beneficiary designation. Active Teachers' Handbook (2022), pp. 15-17, Death Benefits During Employment; C.G.S. §§ 10-183f(f), 10-183h(a) (2026 Supp.)
| Survivor | A month |
|---|---|
| Spouse | $300 + $25 a year over 12up to $600 |
| Each child | $300 |
| Dependent former spouse | $300 |
| Dependent parent | $300 |
| Family maximum | $1,500 |
Spouse's amount by Connecticut years: 12 years $300, 14 years $350, 16 years $400, 20 years $500, 24 years $600.
Children are paid first; the rest of the family maximum is split between surviving spouse and dependent former spouse in proportion to their formula amounts.
The handbook's examples
| Member | Spouse | Former spouse | Each child |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 years, 3 children | $400 | $200 | $300 |
| 24 years, 1 child | $600 | $300 | $300 |
| 12 years, 3 children | $300 | $300 | $300 |
Our engine gives the handbook's figures in each case. Active Teachers' Handbook (2022), p. 17, Example (24-year member); Active Teachers' Handbook (2022), p. 17, Example (two years later); Active Teachers' Handbook (2022), p. 17, Example (12-year member)
A surviving spouse's benefit continues after remarriage at 60 or older; it ends on remarriage before 60. C.G.S. § 10-183h(f) (2026 Supp.); Active Teachers' Handbook (2022), p. 18
The lump sum death benefit
$1,000 with 5 or fewer Connecticut years, plus $200 for each year over 5, up to $2,000. Paid to a surviving spouse (or, with no spouse, to whoever paid funeral costs, up to the same amount); apply within two years. C.G.S. § 10-183h(b) (2026 Supp.); Active Teachers' Handbook (2022), p. 17, Lump sum Death Benefit
5 years: $1,000 · 6 years: $1,200 · 8 years: $1,600 · 10 years: $2,000
If you were already eligible to retire
If you die after becoming eligible to retire and had not waived it, your spouse may choose a lifetime benefit equal to Plan D 100% (or the survivor benefits, or a refund of contributions). C.G.S. § 10-183h(d) (2026 Supp.); Active Teachers' Handbook (2022), p. 18, Surviving Spouse Benefit
After you retire
After retirement, what a beneficiary gets depends on the payment plan (Plan N refund, Plan C remaining payments, Plan D co-participant benefit). Active Teachers' Handbook (2022), pp. 29-31 See payment plans.
Questions
What does my family get if I die before retiring?
Monthly survivor benefits: your spouse gets $300 plus $25 for each year of Connecticut service over 12 (up to $600), each child $300, up to $1,500 for the family. A lump sum of $1,000 to $2,000 is also paid.
What if I die after I retire?
It depends on your payment plan: the Plan N refund, the rest of a Plan C period, or your Plan D co-participant's lifetime benefit.
Source: CTRS Active Teachers' Handbook, July 1, 2022, pp. 15-17, 17, 18, 29-31. Also: C.G.S. §§ 10-183f, 10-183h. Last reviewed .