Updating Your Beneficiaries

Keeping your beneficiary designations up to date is an important part of planning for your future. Review your beneficiaries regularly, especially after major life events, to ensure your benefits will go to the people you intend.

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For step-by-step instructions on updating your beneficiaries, watch our instructional video: Designating Beneficiaries.

Option 1: Update Your Beneficiaries Through mySRPS (Recommended)

The easiest way to review and update your beneficiary designations is through our secure member portal, mySRPS.
Step 1: Log in to your mySRPS account.
Step 2: Review your current beneficiary designations.
Step 3: Make any necessary changes and submit your updates online.

Option 2: Submit a Beneficiary Designation Form

You may also update your beneficiaries by completing and submitting the appropriate Designation of Beneficiary form.

Step 1: Download and complete your form.

• Form 4: All plans except Judges and Legislative

• Form 4.1: Judges

• Form 55: Legislative

Step 2: Have your form notarized.

Step 3: Submit your completed form to your retirement coordinator (usually in your Human Resources department), who will securely upload it through the Employer Portal.

Alternatively, you may mail your completed form to:

Maryland State Retirement Agency
120 E. Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21202

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Your plan, along with providing retirement security, also provides your beneficiaries with a lump sum payment if you die while an active member or while on an MSRA-approved leave of absence.

For most plans, after one year of eligibility service, the surviving beneficiary payment is your annual salary plus your accumulated contributions.

Primary beneficiaries are paid the survivor benefits. If all primary beneficiaries are no longer living, then benefits are paid to the living contingent beneficiaries. If no beneficiaries are living, then benefits are paid to your estate.

Payment is based on your most current Form 4 on file with us.

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In place of the lump sum survivor benefits, a monthly lifetime benefit often referred to as the Spouse Law Benefit can be paid to the surviving spouse if the following conditions are met:

1. The member must have named his/her spouse as the sole primary beneficiary; and
2. The member must have either been eligible to retire, been at least age 55 with 15 years of eligibility service, or had at least 25 years of eligibility service at the time of death

If the spouse is not named by the member then under most plans the spouse is not eligible for benefits.

If a member names his or her spouse and child/children as primary beneficiaries, the lump sum benefit will be split equally among them. In this instance, the spouse will not be eligible for the Spouse Law Benefit because the spouse is not the sole primary beneficiary. However, if all the primary beneficiaries other than the spouse waive their right to a benefit, then the spouse would be eligible to choose the monthly lifetime benefit.

The spouse may also be eligible for lifetime health insurance coverage if they receive a monthly retirement benefit under the Plan as the result of the death of the member.

Whether it is the best decision for you or your family for beneficiaries other than the spouse to waive their right to benefits is a decision that should be discussed with your tax or legal advisors.