KPERS death and survivor benefits

After you retire

A joint annuitant keeps receiving the survivor share of your option, and a life-certain option pays your beneficiary for the rest of the period. See Payment options.

If a retiree (and any joint annuitant) dies before total payments reach the retiree's accumulated contributions, the difference goes to the beneficiary. Membership Guide, p. 16, Returning Your Contributions; 2025 actuarial valuation, p. 155

Before you retire

KPERS 1 and 2: Death before retirement: your contributions and interest go to your beneficiary, plus Basic Life insurance (150% of annual salary) and any Optional Life. If your spouse is your sole primary beneficiary, the spouse may take a lifetime monthly benefit instead: right away if you were eligible to retire, or from when you would have reached age 55 if you had 10 years of service. Membership Guide, p. 6, Active Member Death Benefits; Membership Guide, p. 8, Surviving Spouse Benefit Option

KPERS 3: KPERS 3: if your spouse is your sole primary beneficiary, the spouse can take a lifetime monthly benefit instead of your contributions: right away if you were eligible to retire, or when you would have reached normal retirement age if you had five years of service. KPERS 3 Disability & Life, PDF p. 2, Surviving Spouse Benefit Option; 2025 actuarial valuation, p. 155

Death from an on-the-job accident: your spouse gets a monthly benefit of 50% of your final average salary (less workers' compensation; at least $100 a month) plus a $50,000 lump sum, on top of life insurance and returned contributions. With no spouse: children under 18 (23 if full-time students), then dependent parents. Not taxable. KPERS 3 uses the average of the final three years of salary. Membership Guide, p. 6, Job-Related Death; 2025 actuarial valuation, p. 155

Active members have Basic Life insurance equal to 150% of annual salary, paid by the employer. It ends at retirement unless you continue it (portability or conversion) within 60 days. Membership Guide, pp. 6, 8; Pre-Retirement Guide, p. 17

Disability

Long-term disability: 60% of annual salary, at least $100 and at most $5,000 a month, after 180 days of disability and off employer pay. First 24 months: unable to do your own job; after that, any job. You keep earning service (KPERS 3: contributions, credits and interest continue to normal retirement age). Membership Guide, p. 6, Long-Term Disability Benefits; KPERS 3 Disability & Life, PDF p. 1

If you leave before retiring, what happens to your contributions is on Leaving a KPERS job. The death benefit is federally taxable but not Kansas-taxable (see Taxes).

What KPERS says

• KPERS pays a $6,000 lump-sum death benefit to the retiree's beneficiary (a person, estate, trust, or a funeral home named by the retiree). It isn't paid automatically: the beneficiary applies. It is federally taxable but not Kansas-taxable, and there is none when a joint annuitant dies.Membership Guide, p. 16, $6,000 Death Benefit; Membership Guide, p. 9
• Death before retirement: your contributions and interest go to your beneficiary, plus Basic Life insurance (150% of annual salary) and any Optional Life. If your spouse is your sole primary beneficiary, the spouse may take a lifetime monthly benefit instead: right away if you were eligible to retire, or from when you would have reached age 55 if you had 10 years of service.Membership Guide, p. 6, Active Member Death Benefits; Membership Guide, p. 8, Surviving Spouse Benefit Option
• KPERS 3: if your spouse is your sole primary beneficiary, the spouse can take a lifetime monthly benefit instead of your contributions: right away if you were eligible to retire, or when you would have reached normal retirement age if you had five years of service.KPERS 3 Disability & Life, PDF p. 2, Surviving Spouse Benefit Option; 2025 actuarial valuation, p. 155
• Death from an on-the-job accident: your spouse gets a monthly benefit of 50% of your final average salary (less workers' compensation; at least $100 a month) plus a $50,000 lump sum, on top of life insurance and returned contributions. With no spouse: children under 18 (23 if full-time students), then dependent parents. Not taxable. KPERS 3 uses the average of the final three years of salary.Membership Guide, p. 6, Job-Related Death; 2025 actuarial valuation, p. 155
• Active members have Basic Life insurance equal to 150% of annual salary, paid by the employer. It ends at retirement unless you continue it (portability or conversion) within 60 days.Membership Guide, pp. 6, 8; Pre-Retirement Guide, p. 17
• If a retiree (and any joint annuitant) dies before total payments reach the retiree's accumulated contributions, the difference goes to the beneficiary.Membership Guide, p. 16, Returning Your Contributions; 2025 actuarial valuation, p. 155
• If you don't name a beneficiary, KPERS pays in this order: Spouse, Dependent children, Dependent parents, Non-dependent children, Non-dependent parents, Estate.Pre-Retirement Guide, p. 21, If You Don't Name a Beneficiary

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