Joint And 100% Survivor Option:  A reduced pension is paid to you; upon your death, the reduced pension is continued to your spouse, if alive. The reduction is based on the combination of the age of you and your spouse.

However, if you are married your spouse may be eligible for a surviving spouse death benefit in lieu of the benefit payable to your designated beneficiary.

If you are married on the day benefits commence, monthly normal, early or disability retirement payments will be made under the joint and 50% survivor option with your spouse as your joint annuitant unless you and your spouse reject this option in writing before benefit payments commence and you elect a pension payable for your life only, or the joint and 100% survivor option. However, if you are divorced, benefits may be paid to your ex-spouse if required by a Divorce Decree (called a Qualified Domestic Relations Order) giving the ex-spouse part of your pension.

If you elect to receive any monthly pension that does not provide for a Joint and 100% or 50% survivor option, Federal regulations provide that your spouse must approve this in writing on a form to be provided by the Pension Fund Office. This statement must be notarized. If notarized consent is not obtained by you from your spouse, then the Joint and 50% survivor option will be deemed to have been made by your spouse.

The Summary Plan Description contains tables of Joint and 50% Survivor and Joint and 100% Survivor reduction factors for normal and early retirement payments.

If you are a married disabled participant, you may also elect to receive your disability retirement benefit under either of the joint and survivor options.

Once you have elected a joint and survivor option and begin receiving benefits, the election cannot be canceled or changed for any reason. If after payments begin, your spouse dies before you do, you will continue to receive your reduced benefit for life and all monthly pension benefits will cease at your death. If you began payments on or after January 1, 1994, and your spouse dies before you, the monthly benefit continuing to you beginning with the first month coincident with or next following the death of your spouse will revert to the amount you would received had no Joint and Survivor Option been originally selected.

If your spouse dies before benefit payments commence, the election will be null and void. In this case, you will receive the normal, early or disability retirement benefit for your life only.

On or after January 1, 1994, if the Employee or his spouse dies before the date pension payments commence, the election is null and void, provided, however, that in the case of an Employee who dies after reaching age sixty-five(65), his exercise of the Joint and Survivor Options shall be valid upon delivery of the required form. Notwithstanding, if an employee elects a 100% or 50% Joint and Survivor Option during the election Period, and the Employee dies before the date pension payments commence, the option shall be valid and his spouse shall receive a benefit based on the elected continuation percentage.