TRS benefits are subject to the Rights of Spouses and Dependents described on page 53. This benefit is only payable if the member's dependent child or that child's parent or legal guardian is the designated beneficiary. See Benefit Calculation on page 25 and Joint and Survivor Options on page 33. Benefits accrue from the first day of the month following the member's death and are payable at the end of the month.
Benefits stop when the spouse dies.
The member does not have to be vested to qualify for occupational death benefits. When the spouse is the designated beneficiary, he or she will receive a monthly survivor's pension. TRS benefits are subject to the Rights of Spouses and Dependents described on page 53. The pension amount will change on the date the member would have been eligible for normal retirement. The new benefit will be based on the member's average base salary at the time of death and total TRS service, including service that would have accrued if the member had lived and worked until eligible for normal retirement.