What benefits are payable upon the death of an in-service Tier I member?
When an in-service Tier I member dies before becoming eligible for retirement under the Qualified Pension Plan (QPP), the death benefit would equal the member's Annuity Savings Fund (ASF) balance, Increased-Take-Home-Pay (ITHP) balance, and an amount based on his/her salary and years of Total Service Credit.
The following table shows how the member's Total Service Credit affects the death benefit payable.
| Years of Service Credit |
Amount of Death Benefit |
| Less than 10 |
One-half the member's salary in the year immediately before the date of the member's death |
| At least 10 but less than 20 |
The member's salary in the year immediately before the date of the member's death |
| 20 or more |
Two times the member's salary in the year immediately before the date of the member's death |
Note: The member's salary is the average annual salary in the year immediately before the date of death. It is generally not affected by any approved leaves of absence with or without pay.
If the member was eligible for a service retirement at the time of death, or died within the first 30 days after retiring, the death benefit would be the greater of the amount indicated in the first paragraph above or a benefit based on the reserves that would have been payable under Option I Modified had the member retired on the day before he or she died. (Option I Modified is a retirement payment option that provides a lump-sum benefit to the designated beneficiary based on the member's available pension reserves.)