[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 22, Volume 1]
[Revised as of April 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 22CFR19.10-2]

[Page 94-95]
 
                       TITLE 22--FOREIGN RELATIONS
 
                     CHAPTER I--DEPARTMENT OF STATE
 
PART 19_BENEFITS FOR SPOUSES AND FORMER SPOUSES OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE FOREIGN 
 
Sec.  19.10-2  Reduced annuity with regular survivor annuity to spouse or 

former spouse.

    (a) At commencement of annuity, a participant or former participant 
may provide a regular survivor annuity for any eligible former spouse 
and, within the limits of paragraph (b) of this section, a regular 
survivor annuity to any spouse to whom he/she is then married as 
described in Sec. Sec.  19.11-2 and 19.11-3, respectively. A regular 
survivor annuity for a spouse or former spouse equals 55 percent of the 
portion of the retiree's annuity (up to the full amount) designated as 
the base for the survivor annuity. To provide the survivor annuity, the 
participant must accept a reduction in his/her full annuity equal to 
2\1/2\ percent of the first $3,600 of the designated base, plus 10 
percent of the balance of the base. If a regular survivor annuity is 
being provided for both a spouse and a former spouse, the bases for each 
are added and the calculation made as in the following example:

    Participant's full annuity as computed in Sec.  19.10-1: $14,000.
    Maximum regular survivor annuity is 55 percent of full annuity: 
$7,700.
    Case I (Participant has a spouse and former spouse at retirement) If 
the pro rata share for a former spouse is 75 percent, the base for this 
benefit will be 75 percent of $14,000: $10,500.
    The base for the maximum regular survivor annuity for a spouse would 
then be 25 percent of $14,000, or $3,500.
    Combined base: $14,000.
    Participant's full annuity reduced as follows:
    2\1/2\ percent of first $3,600 of the base: $90.
    Plus 10 percent of the amount over $3,600 ($14,000-3,600) $10,400: 
$1,040.
    Total reduction in participant's full annuity: $1,130.
    Participant's reduced annuity: $12,870.
    Survivor annuity for former spouse: 55 percent of $10,500 or $5,775.
    Survivor annuity for spouse: 55 percent of $3,500 or $1,925.
    Case II (Participant married at retirement with no former spouse. 
All calculations made without reference to cost-of-living increases 
described in Sec.  19.11-5d.)
    Joint election of base for regular survivor annuity of 90 percent of 
the maximum, or 90 percent of $14,000: $12,600.
    Participant's full annuity reduced as follows:
    2\1/2\ percent of first $3,600 of the base: $90.
    Plus 10 percent of the amount over $3,600 ($12,600-3,600) $9,000: 
$900.
    Total reduction in participant's full annuity: $990.
    Participant's reduced annuity: $13,010.
    In this example, if divorce occurs subsequent to retirement and a 
court orders a 75 percent share for the former spouse, the base for the 
survivor annuity for the former spouse would be 75 percent of $14,000: 
$10,500.

[[Page 95]]

    The participant's full annuity would then be reduced by $780 in 
accordance with the above formula for this survivor benefit, and the 
reduced annuity would be $14,000-780: $13,220.
    If the former spouse qualifies for a pension as described in Sec.  
19.9 based on a pro rata share of 75 percent, the pension would equal 50 
percent of the participant's reduced annuity times 75 percent 
(50%x$13,220x75%): 4,957.50.
    The participant's reduced annuity would then be further reduced by 
this pension ($13,220-$4,957.50) to provide an annuity to the former 
participant of $8,262.50.
    If this annuitant later remarried, the maximum base for the regular 
survivor annuity for the new spouse would be the amount designated at 
retirement, $12,600, less the amount committed to the former spouse, 
$10,500: $12,600-10,500 or $2,100.
    The survivor annuity for this spouse: 55 percent of $2,100 or 
$1,555.
    The election of this benefit for the new spouse would be made 
individually by the annuitant since a marriage after retirement does not 
give a spouse a right to participate in the election.
    If the election is made to provide a regular survivor annuity to the 
new spouse, all of the above calculations would be recomputed effective 
the first day of the month beginning one year after the date of the 
remarriage, as follows:
    Base for survivor annuity for former spouse: 75% of $14,000 or 
$10,500.
    Survivor annuity for former spouse: 55% of $10,500 or $5,775.
    Base for survivor annuity for spouse: 15% of $14,000 or $2,100.
    Survivor annuity for spouse: 55% of $2,100 or $1,555.
    The combined base for the survivor benefits is $10,500 plus $2,100 
or $12,600. The annuity reduction on this combined base as computed 
above is $990.
    The participant's annuity after reduction for survivor benefit would 
be $14,000-$990 or $13,010.
    The pension for the former spouse would be 50%x$13,010x75% or 
$4,878.75.
    The participant's annuity would be further reduced by this amount: 
$13,010-$4,878.75 to provide an annuity after this recalculation of 
$8,131.25.

    (b) The maximum regular survivor annuity or combination of regular 
survivor annuities that may be provided under this section is limited to 
55% of the principal's full annuity computed at retirement. If an 
annuitant is recalled to active duty in the Foreign Service, he/she may 
provide additional regular survivor annuities under Sec.  19.10-6. The 
maximum regular survivor annuity or combination of regular survivor 
annuities that an annuitant who was married at retirement may elect or 
provide, pursuant to a court order or otherwise, after retirement in the 
event of his/her divorce or remarriage, is limited to the amount 
provided at the time of initial retirement or reversion to retired 
status following recall service.