Qualified Spouse’s Benefit

Eligibility

If your spouse does not qualify for the primary spouse’s benefit, he or she may be eligible for the qualified spouse’s benefit. For your spouse to receive this benefit, you must be vested in this plan and eligible for early or normal retirement but not retired at the time of your death. If you are vested in this plan but not eligible for early or normal retirement at the time of your death, you must have one or more covered hours on or after August 23, 1984, or one or more covered hours between January 1, 1976 and August 22, 1984 and a death date on or after January 1, 1985.

Amount

With this benefit, your surviving spouse receives the survivor’s portion of a 50% joint and survivor benefit. This monthly income is payable to your spouse for his or her lifetime. If you die when you are age 55 or older, the qualified spouse’s benefit begins in the month following your death. If you die before age 55, the benefit begins in the month you would have attained age 55 had you lived. The benefit is calculated as if you had survived until age 55 (please see Table 5 and Table 6).

For additional information about the qualified spouse’s benefit, please see Article 8.3.