Active Member Benefits
On-Duty Disability
If a member is injured while on-duty, the member receives at least $400.00 a month as long as the member is unable to perform his/her duties for the participating department and the duties of any other occupation for which the person is reasonably suited by education, training, and experience. Both criteria must be met. The amount of the monthly disability increases $50.00 for every $12.00 increase over the minimum $36/month contribution rate paid by the department.
On-Duty Death
Beneficiaries receive a lump-sum payment of $100,000.00. This is in addition to state and federal benefits for an on-duty death. This lump-sum payment goes to whomever is listed on the member’s enrollment form.
In addition to the lump-sum beneficiary benefit for on-duty death, the spouse and minor
children share a monthly pension equal to the service retirement annuity that the
decedent would have been entitled to receive. (The member is automatically
vested with 15 years of service in a line-of-duty death, if the member has less
than 15 years of service.)
Off-Duty Death
If an active TESRS member's death occurs when the member is not performing emergency service for the department, the member's designated beneficiaries of record are eligible to receive a lump-sum cash benefit.
If the active member
is vested and age 55 or older at the time of off-duty death, and their sole designated beneficiary is their spouse, the surviving
spouse is is eligible to receive a lump-sum cash benefit, or can elect to receive two-thirds of the monthly pension the decedent
would have received if the decedent had retired on the date of death.