Retiring members of the Police Officers Retirement System (Normal and Early Service) may elect a Joint and Contingent Spouse and Handicapped Child Option, which entitles the surviving spouse or surviving handicapped child to receive all or a percentage (25%, 50%, 662/3%, 75% or 100%) of their base retirement benefit after their death. If the Joint and Contingent Option is elected, the retiree's benefit will be reduced. The amount of reduction depends on the difference in age between the retiree and his or her beneficiary (see chart below). A partial year is not considered a difference in age.

    If the beneficiary should pre-decease the retiree, the retiree's benefit will be increased to what it would have been if no option had been elected.

   A member who elects a Joint and Contingent Spouse and Handicapped Child Option at retirement is required to provide notice and proof of his or her spouse or handicapped child’s death before the retirement system will increase the amount of his or her retirement allowance to what he or she would have received in the absence of his or her earlier election of a Joint and Contingent Spouse and Handicapped Child Option.