Q. I am a retired federal employee. My wife died one year ago. I plan to get married again in a few months. Will my new wife be eligible for my survivor annuity benefits?
A. She would only be entitled to a survivor benefit if you elect one for her. To do this you’d need to complete Standard Form 2801 (CSRS) or 3107 (FERS) and send it to OPM. The address is on the form. To pay for that benefit, there would be two reductions in your annuity. First is the standard reduction to provide the survivor annuity benefit. Second is a permanent actuarial a reduction to pay the survivor annuity benefit deposit. That deposit is equal to the difference between the new annuity rate and the annuity paid to you for each month since retirement, plus 6 percent interest.
