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What are Survivor Income
Benefits?
If you have one
or more survivors, they may be eligible for Survivor Income Benefits - first
Transition benefits; then, in some cases Bridge benefits.
Transition Survivor Income Benefits
If you die while
covered for Survivor Income Benefits, your eligible survivor will receive a
monthly Transition benefit for up to 24 months. Payments will begin on the first
day of the month after you die and continue for the next 23 months as long as
there is at least one eligible survivor. If on the first day of any month after
your death there is no eligible survivor, no benefit will be paid for that or
any subsequent month.
If you last worked
on or after September 29, 2003 the monthly Transition benefit is $650.
The benefit is reduced to $350 if your eligible survivor is entitled to
receive one of the following Social Security benefits:
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Unreduced old-age (retirement) benefits |
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Survivor benefits not reduced for age |
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Disability benefits |
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For months in which two or more eligible survivors share a benefit, each
survivor's share is computed as a fraction of the benefit that would be paid to
him or her as a sole survivor, according to his or her own eligibility for
Social Security benefits.
If you last worked prior to September 29, 2003, your Transition Survivor
Income Benefits amounts are shown in the Collective Bargaining Agreement in
effect when you last worked. |
Your eligible survivors
Survivor Income
Benefits are paid:
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First, to your eligible surviving widow or widower (Class A or B)
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Next,
if you do not have an eligible surviving widow or widower, to your eligible
surviving children, divided equally (Class C) |
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Finally, if you do not have an eligible widow,
widower or child, to your eligible surviving parents, divided equally
between the two (Class D) |
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If on the first
day of any month after your death there is no eligible survivor, no benefit will
be paid for that or any subsequent month.
The eligibility
requirements for a survivor are:
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Survivor Classes |
At the Time of Your Death
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At the Time a Benefit is Payable |
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A. Widow,
whether or not remarried |
Married to you for at least one year |
Living |
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B. Widower,
whether or not remarried |
Married to you for at least one year |
Living |
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C. Children |
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Unmarried and under age 21 or
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Unmarried,
legally residing with you and dependent on you at
the time of your death and:
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Living and still satisfying the eligibility
requirement at the time of your death |
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Children include:
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Natural-born children born prior to the first of
the month following your death, legally adopted children, or children
for whom legal adoption proceedings were undertaken or stepchildren who
resided with you at your death. |
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D. Father
or mother by blood or adopting parent |
You were providing at least 50% of support during
calendar year immediately preceding your death. |
Living |
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Bridge Survivor Income Benefits
If you have an
eligible spouse, he or she may qualify for additional Bridge Survivor Income
Benefits at the end of the Transition Survivor Income Benefits period. Your
spouse is eligible if:
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He or she has not remarried and
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He or she was at least 45 years old at the time you
died or his or her age at your death (rounded to the nearest ½) plus
your years of creditable service under the Retirement Plan totals 55 or
more |
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He or she was eligible to receive 24 Transition
benefit payments |
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If your spouse
is eligible, he or she will receive a monthly Bridge benefit of $650, if
you last worked on or after September 29, 2003 until the earliest of:
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Death |
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Remarriage |
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Reaching age 62 or |
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Reaching age 62 and one month provided your spouse
is: |
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Not eligible to receive a Social Security Widow's or
Widower's benefit during that additional month |
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Not eligible for a survivor benefit under the
Retirement Plan |
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Eligible to receive and has applied for a reduced
Social Security old-age (retirement) benefit that first will be paid
during the second month following his or her 62nd birthday |
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Reaching an age when full Widow's or Widower's
insurance benefits are available under the Social Security Act, as
amended |
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No additional
Survivor Income Benefits will be payable for any month a widow or widower is
eligible (because of the care of a child) to receive Social Security Mother's
Insurance benefits or comparable benefits for a Father.
If you last
worked prior to September 29, 2003, your Bridge Survivor Income Benefits
amount is shown in the Collective Bargaining Agreement in effect when you last
worked.
Waiver of benefits
When it's to
your surviving spouse's advantage to waive Survivor Income Benefits, he or she
may do so by completing the carrier's form. The waiver will take effect on the
first day of the second month after the waiver is received by the carrier or, if
later, at the beginning of the period covered by the waiver.
Survivor Income
Benefits will not be payable for any period covered by the waiver. Any month in
which a Transition benefit is not paid because of a waiver, however, still will
be counted for purposes of determining the 24-month Transition benefit payment
maximum.
Your eligible
surviving spouse may revoke the waiver by completing the appropriate form
furnished by the carrier.
Attachment of benefits
To the extent
permitted by applicable law, monthly Survivor Income Benefits shall not be
subject to attachment or other encumbrance or subject to the debts or liability
of any eligible survivor.
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