How to Claim the Pension of a Deceased Spouse

Be sure to establish your spouse's pension as a joint-life pension.

If your spouse had a pension benefit at work, you should be able to claim the remaining benefit for yourself. A pension does not begin making payments until a worker reaches a specific retirement age, as set by the plan. If your spouse died before retirement, you will be entitled to the full value of these unmade pension payments. If your spouse died will receiving pension payments, you will only be allowed to claim the pension if you and your spouse elected joint-life payments.

Instructions

Spouse Dies Before Retirement

1. Notify the investment company managing the pension that your spouse has died. You may be required to present your spouse's death certificate to the company.

2. Ask the investment company about your distribution options for the pension benefit. The company must offer a qualified pre-retirement survivor annuity, which is a monthly payment over your entire life. They may also give you the option of taking a lump-sum payment or a series of annual payments.

3. Compare the different payment options and evaluate which best fits your retirement plan. Once you choose an option, you cannot undo your decision.

4. If you are not ready for retirement, consider rolling over the lump-sum payment into an individual retirement account. This will delay taxes on the pension benefit until you begin making withdrawals in retirement.

5. Let the investment company know of your distribution decision and complete any paperwork needed to finish the transaction.

Spouse Dies During Retirement

1. Before your husband reaches retirement, contact the pension plan administrator and confirm that the pension will make payments over your joint-lives. Joint-life monthly payments will be lower than monthly payments based only on your spouse's life, but will not stop if he dies.

2. When your spouse dies, contact the investment company managing the pension and let them know about the death. This is only to keep the pension records up-to-date. Your monthly payments will not be affected by your spouse's death.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not set up your spouse's pension as a single-life payment plan. If your spouse dies during retirement under this plan, you will not be entitled to claim any future payments from the pension.

References

• IRS.gov: Retirement Topics - Qualified Pre-Retirement Survivor Annuity (QPSA)
• Fidelity: How to Take a Pension Payment