(1) If you choose a benefit option with a survivor feature at the time of retirement, your survivor beneficiary will receive an ongoing monthly disability benefit after your death. Your disability benefit will be actuarially reduced to offset the cost of providing payments over two lifetimes. The survivor options are further described in WAC 415-106-600. See WAC 415-02-380 for more information and examples on how the actuarial reduction is applied for a survivor benefit.

(2) If your retirement status changes due to the department's acceptance of a new retirement application from service retirement to a disability retirement or catastrophic duty disability retirement, or a disability retirement to a catastrophic duty disability retirement, you may select a different survivor benefit option. Your benefit will be recalculated to reflect your new survivor option.

Example 1: Pat retired with a disability retirement benefit with survivor option three (50%). Pat's condition worsened. Pat applied for and was granted a catastrophic duty disability retirement. Pat selected survivor option two (100%) on the catastrophic application. Pat's catastrophic duty disability retirement benefit will be calculated to reflect this survivor option.

Example 2: Pat retired with a disability retirement benefit with survivor option two (100%) for their spouse. Pat's condition worsened. Pat applied for and was granted a catastrophic duty disability retirement benefit. Pat selected survivor option one (no ongoing survivor benefit after Pat's death). Pat's spouse will need to agree to this survivor option and the application will need to be notarized.