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HomeGovernment CodeDiv. 5Pt. 3Ch. 13Art. 6§ 21456 Survivor Benefit Adjustment Rules

§ 21456 Survivor Benefit Adjustment Rules

Government Code·California
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§ 21456 Survivor Benefit Adjustment Rules

Key Takeaways

  • •If you choose this retirement plan, you get paid until you die, and then your beneficiary gets paid for their life.
  • •If your beneficiary dies before you, your payment goes up to what it would have been if you didn’t choose this plan.
  • •If you get divorced or separated and the court gives you full rights to the retirement money, your payment goes up.
  • •The amount your payment goes up depends on how long it’s been since you retired.

Example

A retired person named John chose this plan so his wife, Mary, would get money after he dies. But Mary died 2 years after John retired.

Since Mary died, John’s monthly retirement payment will go up. The amount it goes up depends on how long it’s been since he retired. Because it’s been 2 years (24 months), his payment will go up by 75% of the difference between what he would have gotten without this plan and what he’s getting now.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 21456 Survivor Benefit Adjustment Rules

Optional settlement 2 consists of the right to have a retirement allowance paid to a member until his or her death and thereafter to his or her beneficiary for life. If the beneficiary predeceases the member and the member elected this section to be effective on or after January 1, 1990, the member’s allowance shall be adjusted effective the first of the month following the death of the beneficiary, to reflect the benefit that would have been paid had the member not selected an optional settlement. If a nonspouse beneficiary waives entitlement to this allowance and the member elected this section to be effective on or after January 1, 1993, the member’s allowance shall be adjusted effective the first of the month following the receipt of the waiver of the allowance entitlement from the nonspouse beneficiary to reflect the benefit that would have been paid had the member not selected an optional settlement. If the marriage of a member is dissolved or annulled or there is a legal separation between the member and the beneficiary spouse and the judgment dividing the community property awards the total interest in this system to the member, and the member elects this section to be effective on or after January 1, 1994, the member’s allowance shall be adjusted effective the first of the month following the filing of the judgment with the board to reflect the benefit that would have been paid had the member not selected an optional settlement. If the beneficiary spouse predeceases the member on or after January 1, 1990, and the member elected this section to be effective prior to January 1, 1990, the member’s allowance shall be adjusted effective the first of the month following the death of the beneficiary spouse to reflect a new allowance as calculated below. If the nonspouse beneficiary waives entitlement to this allowance on or after January 1, 1993, and the member elected this section to be effective prior to January 1, 1993, the member’s allowance shall be adjusted, effective the first of the month following receipt by the board of the waiver of entitlement from the nonspouse beneficiary, to reflect a new allowance as calculated below. If the marriage of a member is dissolved or annulled or there is a legal separation between the member and the beneficiary spouse and the judgment dividing the community property awards the total interest in the retirement system to the member, and the member elected this section to be effective prior to January 1, 1994, the member’s allowance shall be adjusted, effective the first of the month following the filing of the judgment with the board to reflect a new allowance as calculated below. The qualifying event shall be the date on which the judgment is filed with the board. A percentage factor shall be applied to the difference between the member’s unmodified allowance and optional settlement 2 allowance, both of which shall include applicable cost-of-living increases. The product of this equation shall then be added to the member’s optional settlement 2 allowance and the total amount shall become the member’s base allowance. The percentage factor applicable to each member shall be determined by the time between the member’s retirement effective date and the date of death of the beneficiary spouse or by the time between the member’s retirement effective date and the date of the receipt of either the waiver of the allowance entitlement or the judgment of dissolution, annulment, or legal separation according to the following table: Period between the member’s retirement effective date and the date of the qualifying event Percentage Less than 12 months 95% 12 months through 23 months 85% 24 months through 35 months 75% 36 months through 47 months 65% 48 months through 59 months 55% 60 months through 71 months 45% 72 months through 83 months 35% 84 months through 95 months 25% 96 months through 107 months 15% 108 months through 119 months  5% 120 months or more  0% Nothing in this section shall result in additional cost to the employer. This section shall apply to any member who retires on or before December 31, 2017. (Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 199, Sec. 11. (AB 2404) Effective January 1, 2017.)

Last verified: January 22, 2026

Key Terms

allowanceretirementjudgmentseparationsettlementmarriagespousewaiver

Related Statutes

  • § 21482 Post-Retirement Spousal Benefit Election
  • § 75059 Retirement Benefit Division Orders
  • § 9360.7 Legislator Retirement Survivor Benefits
  • § 31787 Survivor Disability Retirement Option
  • § 75071 Judicial Retirement Beneficiary Options

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Government Code. Section 21456.
View Official Source