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All of the benefit information below has been complied by COPS, a support group for police survivors.
Rev.03/05
STATE OF TENNESSEE
DEATH BENEFIT
To obtain certified copies of registered personal documents, contact Vital Records, Cordell
Hull Building, Nashville, TN 37219, phone (615) 741-1763.
STATE DEATH BENEFIT
No one-time state death benefit currently exists.
STATE PENSION BENEFITS
There are several retirement options available to Tennessee state law enforcement officers.
Death Benefits: Upon the death of a member prior to retirement, his accumulated
contributions and interest may be paid to his beneficiary or his estate. If the member was in
service within 120 days before his death and had not retired, his beneficiary will receive an
additional amount equal to his accumulated contributions.
In lieu of a refund the beneficiary may be entitled to receive a monthly retirement allowance
provided the member was age 55 with 25 years of service at the time of his death and had
filed an in-service option with the retirement system. If the above service and age
requirements were not met by the member at the time of his death but the member had 10
years of service, the surviving spouse may be eligible for a monthly benefit if designated as
the beneficiary, provided the automatic death benefit has been authorized by the member's
political subdivision.
Group I State Employees: Survivor Benefits
The beneficiary of an active member who dies prior to retirement may be entitled to one of
four survivor benefits described in this section. The type of benefit payable would be
determined by who is named as beneficiary and by your age and length of service. Any
annuity benefits payable may be reduced by the early retirement reduction factor and/or the
appropriate option factor.
One of the most important decisions you are asked to make as a new member of the retirement
system is to name a beneficiary. In deciding who to name, you should consider the system's
survivor benefit provisions in light of your circumstances. For example, if you are married, if
you are not eligible for retirement, and if you have never made contribution to the retirement
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system, you should name your spouse as your only beneficiary. It is very important that you
keep your Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS) beneficiary designation
current throughout your career. Situations such as divorce, remarriage, or death do not
automatically change your beneficiary. You may change your TCRS beneficiary at any time
by submitting a notarized Change of Beneficiary form to TCRS.
*Lump Sum Refund
If you have made a payment to TCRS to establish credit for a period of
prior service, any beneficiary you have named would be entitled to a
refund of that amount plus interest. If you were in service at the
time of death, the beneficiary would also receive a matching amount
from the system.
*Line-of-Duty Benefit
If your spouse or your minor children are named as your only
beneficiary, your spouse or your children would receive a benefit
equal to 52.5 percent of your final average compensation if you should
die as the result of an accident or physical violence occurring in the
performance of your duties. If your spouse is named, this benefit
would be paid to the spouse until his or her death or remarriage. If the
named spouse dies or remarries, the benefit would then continue on to
any minor children until they reach 18. If your minor children are
named, this benefit would be paid to them until they reach 18.
Line-of-duty benefits are reduced if the beneficiary receives a social
security benefit or payments from the Board of Claims on behalf of the
member.
*100 Percent Joint and Survivor Annuity for Spouse after 10 Years
Service
If your spouse is named as your only beneficiary, he or she would be
entitled to receive a 100 percent joint and survivor annuity if you
should die in service after accruing 10 years or more of service credit.
*100 Percent Joint and Survivor Annuity for Any Beneficiary after
Reaching Early Retirement Eligibility
When you reach the conditions for early retirement, you may file an
In-Service Option I form. This provides a 100 percent joint and
survivor annuity for any one person you name as beneficiary.
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Applying for Benefits: Before death benefits can begin, you or your surviving beneficiary
must complete an application and submit it to TCRS. Applications are available from
TCRS or from your employer. Any correspondence should include your social security
number and your current address. Mail correspondence to Tennessee Consolidated
Retirement System, 10th Floor Andrew Jackson State Office Building, Nashville, TN
37243.
TCRS Offices
Membership (615) 741-4868
Account Services (615) 741-5588
Benefits and Counseling (615) 741-1971
Retired Payroll (615) 741-4913
Refunds (615) 741-4925
EDUCATION BENEFITS
THE DEPENDENT CHILDREN SCHOLARSHIP ACT
The Dependent Children Scholarship Act was established to provide aid for a Tennessee
resident who is a dependent child of a law enforcement officer, fireman, or an emergency
medical service technician who has been killed or totally and permanently disabled while
performing duties within the scope of such employment. The scholarship may be awarded
to full-time undergraduate students for a maximum of four (4) academic years or the period
required for the completion of the program of study.
The Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation administers the program. Dependent
surviving children may receive a scholarship except to the extent the dependent child receives
educational benefits or scholarship aid from other sources. The corporation requires a
dependent child to also apply to other government programs of student grant assistance for
which, in the judgement of the corporation, the dependent child is eligible.
To apply, you must be accepted for admission in any institution in the state of Tennessee
offering post-secondary vocation or undergraduate education that has been authorized to
enroll students receiving grants of financial assistance from the corporation under the
Tennessee Student Assistance Program. Applications must be accompanied by certain
required paperwork from the institution.
To the extent funds are available, the corporation shall award a scholarship to any eligible
applicant for full-time post-secondary undergraduate or vocational study at an eligible
educational institution. If funds are insufficient to provide scholarships to all eligible
applicants, awards shall be based on the financial need of the student as determined by
guidelines established by the corporation. Except as provided by other scholarship or
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educational aid programs, the scholarship award shall include tuition and other required
fees and allowances for books, supplies, and room and board.
The duration of a scholarship award shall be four (4) academic years of the period required
for the completion of the appropriate course of study, whichever is less. Provided, however, a
scholarship recipient enrolled in an undergraduate degree program which requires more than
four (4) academic years for completion may apply to the corporation during the fourth year for
an extension of the scholarship award to the fifth year, in which event duration of the award
shall not exceed five (5) years. Payment of scholarships is made directly to the recipient in
approximately equal installments at the beginning of each academic term upon receive by the
corporation of evidence that the recipient is officially enrolled in an eligible educational
institution.
Contact the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation at 615-741-1346.
STATE EMPLOYEE BENEFIT
The state of Tennessee provides an educational assistance benefit for children of Tennessee
state law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. Tuition is discounted 25%.
Contact the personnel officer or the Tennessee Higher Education Commission at (615)
741-7570.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Health benefits differ from agency to agency. Check with your local department to
determine your eligibility to receive health benefits.
WORKERS' COMPENSATION
Workers' Compensation coverage is compulsory for employers with 5 or more employees in
Tennessee; however, waivers are allowed.
Benefit is 50% of employee's wage for spouse and 66 2/3% of employee's wage for spouse
with child(ren) with a minimum weekly benefit of $64.80 and a maximum weekly benefit
of $355.97. Total maximum amount payable is $142,388. Lump sum of $10,000 will be paid
to decedent's estate when there are no dependents.
Spouse receives benefits until remarriage. Children receive benefits until age 18 or beyond
age 18 if disabled, or until age 22 if full-time students. Maximum burial allowance is
$4,500.
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To receive workers' compensation benefits the surviving spouse must take the initiative and
file a workers' compensation claim through a workers' compensation attorney to receive any
compensation. The determination as to whether the claim will be paid will be determined by
the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board.
Contact the Workers' Compensation Division, State Department of Labor, 501 Union
Building, 2nd Floor, Nashville, TN 37243-0661, telephone (615) 741-2395.
PERSONAL LIFE POLICIES
Descent and Distribution - Surviving spouse takes all real and personal property if decedent
left no issue and takes child's share, but not less than 1/3 if decedent left
issue. Balance passes:
(1) to children equally, issue of deceased children taking per stripes;
(2) to parents equally;
(3) to brothers and sisters equally, issue of deceased brothers and
sisters taking per stripes;
(4) half to paternal grandparents or their survivor, or if neither
survives, their issue per stripes, and half to maternal grandparents
or their survivor, or if neither survives, their issue per stripes, but
if no grandparents or issue survive on one side, all to
grandparents on other side or their survivor, or if neither
survives, their issue per stripes.
Surviving spouse - has homestead rights and right to receive year's support allowance in
addition to distributive share. Conveyance made fraudulently with intent to defeat
distributive share is voidable.
Peer Support
Established in 1984, Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc. (COPS), is a national, non-profit
organization that works with law enforcement agencies, police organizations, mental health
professional, and local peer-support organizations to provide assistance to surviving families
of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. COPS has become a "lifeline" to police
survivors nationwide.
Tennessee Chapters:
Middle Tennessee COPS, Mrs. Trina Scott, President, 2030 Edna Lane, Woodlawn, TN
37191, phone 931-553-0393, email tadilworth@yahoo.com.
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West Tennessee COPS, Mrs. Linda Gregory, President, 3099 Oakleigh Manor Cove,
Bartlett, TN 38138, phone 901-309-9455, email lgregory@midsouth.rr.com.
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS
The Tennessee State Fraternal Order of Police provides an insurance program for only
F.O.P. members upon death from any cause. The program began in 1988 with a basic benefit
of $1,000 paid to the surviving spouse or family member. The lodge has now increased the
benefit to $1,500. For information, contact the Tennessee State FOP Lodge, 519 Jefferson
Street, Ripley, TN 38063.
Southern States Police Benevolent Association, Inc.
The PBA member’s beneficiary will receive their base salary for one if year they are killed
accidentally or intentionally while performing their law enforcement duties (maximum
payout: $60,000). The beneficiary will receive $5,000 if it is not an occupational death or if
you are a retired or reserve member. Any active Southern States PBA member in good
standing and dues current will receive this benefit. Contact: Southern States Police
Benevolent Association, Inc., 1900 Brannan Road, McDonough, GA 30253-4310,
telephone 1-800-233-3506, or visit www.sspba.org.
All of the benefit information above has been complied by COPS, a support group for police survivors.
Contact the National Office of Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc. for additional information, or to support any of COPS' programs.
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Web site copyrighted © 2005 by Lydia Warner Miller