What is a Member-Survivor Benefit (also known as an Option D benefit)?
A Member-Survivor (Option D) benefit provides a monthly life-time benefit to a single individual, who is a surviving eligible spouse or other named Member-Survivor (Option D) beneficiary. The benefit is calculated as if you, the member, had been at least age 55 and had chosen to retire under an Option C (Member-Survivor option) retirement allowance effective on the date of death. The amount of the benefit depends on both your (members) age and your survivors age on the date of death. Only one individual may receive the member-survivor benefit and a named survivor is limited to a spouse, child, parent, sibling, or a former spouse who has not remarried. An eligible surviving spouse or dependent children supersede any other named beneficiary. If the Member-Survivor benefit is elected, there is no payout of a lump sum distribution (11(2)(c)) benefit.
