Q. I plan to leave government employment within the next year, at age 50, with about 15 years accrued service. I will defer my pension until I am 62. Everything I read discusses elections for survivor benefits as the pension payments begin. What if I were to die before the annuity begins? What benefit will be provided to my surviving spouse and minor child while I have deferred my pension payments?
A. Because you have at least five years of service, if you left your retirement contributions in the fund when you resigned and later died, your spouse would be entitled to a survivor annuity based on your prior service. And any dependent children would be entitled to children’s annuity benefits.
