Death Benefits

If a vested member (a member with a minimum of five years of active service) dies before retirement, survivor benefits may be payable to qualified recipients (a surviving spouse, children, or dependent parents). All survivor benefits are effective the first of the month following the member’s death.

Surviving Spouse: To qualify for a surviving spouse annuity, the spouse must have been married to the member for at least six months prior to the member’s death. The spouse’s benefit will be the greater of Option B75 (explained in the retirement options section) or 10% of the member’s APERS-covered compensation.

If the deceased member had 20 years of actual service, the surviving spouse annuity is payable until death. If the deceased member had fewer than 20 years of actual service, the surviving spouse annuity is payable until death or remarriage. Even after remarriage, if the surviving spouse still has any of the member’s dependent children in his or her care, the annuity will continue if any dependent children are still receiving an annuity.

Surviving Children: A child is considered a dependent child until his or her death, marriage, or attainment of age 18, whichever comes first. The age 18 maximum shall be extended as long as the child continues uninterruptedly as a full-time student at an accredited secondary school, college, or university, but in no event beyond his or her attainment of age 23. The age 18 maximum will also be extended for any child who has been deemed physically or mentally incompetent by an Arkansas court of competent jurisdiction for as long as such incompetence exists.

If a member dies and has:

One or two dependent children – each child will receive an annuity of the greater of:
- 10% of the member’s APERS – covered compensation at the time of death.
- an equal share of the $150 monthly minimum.
Three or more dependent children – each child will receive an equal share of the greater of
- 25% of the member’s APERS – covered compensation at the time of death.
- An equal share of the $150 monthly minimum.

When a child ceases being a dependent child, his or her annuity will terminate, and there will be a re-determination of the amounts payable to any remaining dependent children.

Dependent Parents: If at the time of the member’s death, there is neither a surviving spouse nor surviving children, each parent dependent on the member for at least 50% support will receive an annuity the greater of:

10% of the member’s APERS-covered compensation at the time of death.
An equal share of the $150 monthly minimum.

How-To

To apply for survivor benefits, you must first report the death of the member. Contact APERS at 501-682-7800. After you answer a few basic questions, a counselor will send out an eligibility questionnaire to determine if there are any qualifying survivors. Complete this questionnaire and return it to APERS. After the questionnaire is received, an application will be mailed to survivors identified by the questionnaire.

Frequently Asked Questions

When are survivor benefits effective?
Survivor benefits are effective the month after the member’s death. You will receive retroactive payment if you qualify for benefits.
What happens if there are no qualifying survivors?
If no one qualifies for a survivor annuity, then we will refund the member’s employee contributions to the named beneficiary. If no beneficiary has been named, we will refund the contributions to the member’s estate.

Online Training Seminars

The online seminars offered through APERS are designed to educate members about their retirement benefits and help them make informed decisions. These seminars cover topics such as retirement planning, benefit options, and financial planning.

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Disclaimer on Benefits and Rights

Disclaimer Concerning Benefit Calculations, Benefit Projections, Counseling, and Certain Conditions Regarding APERS Benefits and Rights

The purpose of this Disclaimer is to summarize, in plain language, existing APERS policy concerning benefit calculations, benefit projections, counseling, and certain conditions regarding APERS benefits and rights. This Disclaimer does not reflect any alteration or amendment of existing APERS policy. This site includes general information about APERS programs and benefits and may not represent or include completely the law and/or rules that govern APERS. Arkansas law and/or administrative rules will supersede any information in conflict.

APERS strives to provide accurate information and assistance to plan participants who have questions regarding their APERS benefits. All information and calculations concerning benefits are based upon current law and policy, even though information often concerns future benefits. Likewise, laws and policies affecting plan participants are subject to change from time to time. The Arkansas General Assembly, U. S. Congress, federal agencies, and the APERS Board of Trustees may change how benefits are calculated and change other rights of plan participants. Any benefit projection or information provided by APERS is subject to future law or policy that is applicable to APERS.

APERS staff depends upon information provided by the plan participants and offers counseling and projects future benefit estimates based upon that information. Such estimates can vary materially from actual results. Calculations concerning benefits, as well as the information APERS provides during counseling, can be materially affected if the plan participant provides inaccurate or incomplete information, or omits material facts. Plan participants are presumed to have knowledge of all publicly available laws and policies that affect their APERS benefits and rights. APERS is under no duty to ensure that plan participants are specifically informed of a new law or policy unless required within the law or policy itself. If APERS attempts to notify plan participants who may be affected by a change of a law or policy, the failure to notify a specific plan participant does not create any right or cause of action for the plan participant.

APERS does not provide plan participants with specific recommendations regarding retirement options, tax advice, or legal advice. Each plan participant is solely responsible for determining whether benefit calculations, benefit projections, benefit estimates, and retirement plan options are suitable for the plan participant based upon his or her specific retirement objectives and personal and financial situation. APERS encourages plan participants to consult their own lawyer, accountant, tax professional, or other retirement adviser before making a decision that affects their benefits and rights regarding APERS.

Federal law and policy, state law and policy, APERS records and documents, and accurate data always govern the final determination of plan participant benefits and rights. An error by APERS does not create any common law rights on behalf of the plan participant. The rights of a plan participant are solely governed by the rights set forth in law and policy applicable to APERS.