Duty (Preretirement) Survivor Pension

Your family may be eligible for a duty survivor pension if you are killed while discharging your duty, or die from injuries or an illness resulting from your occupation with the Michigan State Police.

Eligible recipients

• If you are married with children under the age of 18, your spouse will receive the full survivor benefit for his or her lifetime. In addition, your children under the age of 18 will receive $100 per month.
• If you are married with no children, your spouse receives the full survivor benefit for his or her lifetime.
• If you do not have a surviving spouse, or your surviving spouse dies, your children under the age of 18 will receive the full survivor benefit divided equally between them. The survivor benefit will stop on their 18th birthday and be divided equally between any other children under the age of 18. This recalculation continues until the youngest has reached 18.
• If you have no spouse and no children under age 18, a full survivor benefit can be payable to your mother or father, or both, if they were dependent on you for support. The survivor benefit stops when the dependency stops.
• If a parent is not dependent on you for support upon your death, any siblings under the age of 18 will receive $100 per month.
• If you have no dependents, your estate will receive any personal contributions plus interest you may have on account, or $1,500, whichever is greater.

Calculation

The amount of the survivor benefit is 60 percent of your final average compensation (FAC).

In addition to the survivor benefit, the retirement board pays up to $1,500 for funeral expenses.

Conditions

The survivor benefit, in addition to any workers' compensation, cannot exceed your two-year average annual salary immediately before your death.

To apply

Contact ORS to notify us of a member's death as soon as you are able. We will review the deceased member's file and determine what benefits are payable, if any, and to whom.

If a benefit is payable, the recipient will be notified and mailed the appropriate forms to complete. Eligibility for a survivor benefit starts the first day of the month following your death.