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Under any circumstances; family members or beneficiaries may contact the Human Resources Office. If the employee was retired at the time of passing the family members or beneficiaries will need to contact the Office of Retirement Services (ORS).
What to expect after reporting a death
After the death has been reported to the various departments or agencies, the individual reported as the main contact should expect to hear from the agencies in regards to the specific claims.
Returning & Retrieving Property
After contacting the Human Resources office the family member or beneficiaries should be prepared to return State-owned property (if applicable):
ID Card(s) and badges
Keys or building access card(s)
Vehicles
Parking lot access card
Credit and telephone calling cards
Computer, iPad, laptop, tablet, printer, fax machine, etc.
Cell phone, pager, 2-way radio, etc.
State-issued firearms
Other supplies/equipment
Often at the worksite there are personal items that belonged to the deceased employee. These items may include things such as photos, office supplies, or other items of that nature. Generally, the employee's immediate supervisor or co-workers will be available to assist surviving family members in retrieving these items from the worksite. Where access to the worksite presents security or safety risks, the employee's Human Resources Office may provide necessary assistance.
| Reliance Life Insurance |
Contact: State Police Human Resources 517-241-1394
On November 1, 2020, Reliance replaced Prudential as the Voluntary Life Insurance provider.
In addition to the Basic Life Insurance provided by the State of Michigan, additional supplemental term life insurance is available to purchase for MSP employees and dependents. Review the rate sheets below for coverage levels and cost.
Upon receiving notification of the death, the MSP HR Office will deliver to each designated beneficiary(ies) a proof of death claim form, along with a request for other information necessary for claims processing (for example, a certified copy of the Death Certificate). The completed claim form and any other requested documentation must be returned directly to the MSP HR Office as soon as possible.
Reliance will generate a death benefit payment directly to the MSP HR Office for personal delivery to the beneficiary(s). If the beneficiary(ies) is a minor child, payment will only be paid to the legal guardian appointed by the Probate Court.
| Beneficiary Designation |
State Police employees can name any person, persons or entity including, a charity or trust fund to receive their death benefit. There are no restrictions, except that a designation using the words Per Stripes (indicating payment through the employee's line of surviving descendants) is not allowed. (Instead, the beneficiary designation form recommended appropriate language to specify such a distribution, if it was desired.)
If two or more beneficiaries are named, the employee can specify a percentage of the death benefit payable to each. If no percentage designation was made, the proceeds will be paid in equal shares to the surviving named beneficiaries. If no designated beneficiary survives the deceased employee, payment will be made as follows:
First, to the employee's legal spouse;
Otherwise, equally to surviving natural born or adopted children;
Otherwise, equally to the employee's surviving parents;
Otherwise, equally to surviving brother(s) and sister(s);
Otherwise, to the employee's estate.
| State Police Retirement System |
Contact: Office of Retirement Services 800-381-5111
All enlisted State Police employees become members of the State Police Retirement System as soon as they start their enrollment in the Recruit School. In the event of an enlisted employee's death before retirement, a pension benefit is available for eligible surviving beneficiary(ies).
Once notified of the employee's death, the State Police Human Resources Office will make a preliminary determination as to whether or not a pension benefit is available to the designated beneficiaries. If so, the MSP Human Resources Office will automatically notify the Office of Retirement Services (ORS) to initiate pension processing for either a non-duty or duty-related death benefit (as explained below).
The Office of Retirement Services (ORS) will make a final determination as to what benefits are payable, and to whom. If payable, ORS will send a written benefits determination to the beneficiary, along with appropriate forms for him or her to complete and return. ORS will also request one or both of the following documents:
The survivor's pension benefit effective date will be the first day of the month following the employee's death.
If the beneficiary is not entitled to a monthly survivor pension, ORS will confirm this in writing and refund to the beneficiary(ies) any personal contributions which may have been paid by the enlisted employee (including any additional service credit purchased by the employee, as well as accrued interest) in a lump sum. If the employee does not name a beneficiary, these contributions will be paid to the employee's estate.
Non-Duty Related Death Benefit
If the enlisted employee is vested in State service that is, if he or she has 10 years of service credit under the State Police Retirement System, regardless of age, the surviving spouse or children under age 18 will be eligible for a survivor's pension benefit, equaling the employee's final average compensation, multiplied by 2.4%, multiplied by the years and months of service credit.
If the employee is not vested at the time of death, the beneficiary will be entitled to a refund of any contributions paid by the employee into the State Police Retirement System.
The surviving spouse is automatically the beneficiary for a lifetime monthly pension benefit. Along with the monthly pension, the beneficiary will have an opportunity to enroll in the retiree group health, dental and vision insurance plans, with premium contributions, if any, deducted from the monthly pension benefit. If the deceased employee is unmarried, or if the surviving spouse dies, the employee's children under age 18 will share in a monthly pension benefit until they reach age 18.
If the enlisted employee is not married, and there are no surviving children, no survivor pension benefit will be paid.
If the enlisted employee took a deferred retirement that is, left State service after accruing 10 years of service, but prior to reaching age 50, the surviving spouse is eligible for the lifetime survivor's benefits, including enrollment in retiree group insurance benefits, starting when the deceased employee would have reached age 50. (The beneficiary should apply for benefits 30 to 90 days prior to that time.) No additional pension benefits are payable to minor children or other dependents of a deferred member.
Duty-Related Death Survivor Pension
If the enlisted employee was killed while discharging his or her duty, or died from injuries or an illness resulting from their occupation, the State Police Retirement System will provide a lifetime pension benefit to the surviving spouse, as well as an opportunity to enroll in the retiree group health, dental and vision insurance plans. (Insurance premium, if any, will be deducted from the monthly pension benefit.) In addition, a sum, not to exceed $1,500, will be paid to defray the cost of any funeral expenses.
The pension benefit will be equal to 60% of the deceased employee's final average compensation. If payable to a surviving spouse, each of the employee's surviving children will receive a benefit of $100 per month until age 18. However, if there is no surviving spouse (or if the spouse dies), the surviving children under age 18 will instead each receive an equal share of the full monthly pension benefit, until they reach age 18.
If the enlisted employee died without a surviving spouse or dependent children but had a mother or father who was dependent upon the employee for support, the monthly pension will be paid to them until the dependency ceases. If there is no surviving spouse, no dependent children or no dependent parent(s), a $100 monthly benefit will be payable to any sisters or brothers under age 18 who were dependent upon the employee for support.
Please note that post retirement increases and any minimum annual retirement pension provisions will not apply to the special $100 monthly benefit for children, and the pension to dependent parents and siblings.
If there are no eligible dependents, any undistributed personal contributions (plus interest) paid by the employee into the State Police Retirement System or $1,500, whichever is greater, will be paid to the deceased employee's estate.
Return to Death Benefits Home Page.
