Eligible Spouse/Domestic Partner:  your spouse/domestic partner who was your spouse/domestic partner on the date of injury or onset of illness that resulted in death, or was your spouse/domestic partner continuously for at least one full year immediately prior to your death (SFERS recognizes domestic partnerships that have been established by filing a Declaration of Domestic Partnership with the San Francisco County Clerk, domestic partnerships registered with the State of California or other California jurisdictions, as well as domestic partnerships or similar legal relationships formed and recognized in other jurisdictions); or

Unmarried child under age 18; or

Dependent child of any age; or

• Should you die after you are qualified to retire, the Retirement System will pay a monthly continuation allowance to a qualified survivor equal to the monthly retirement benefit you would have received had you retired on the date of your death.

• Should you die before you are qualified to retire, the Retirement System will pay a monthly continuation allowance to a qualified survivor equal to your compensation at date of death payable until the date you would have qualified for service retirement with 25 years of service, at which time the continuation benefit is adjusted to service retirement, calculated as if you had continued service without interruption in the rank held at retirement.

• Should you die and you are not qualified for service retirement and have no qualified survivor, the Retirement System will pay a lump sum distribution equal to your contributions and interest, plus 6 months compensation earnable paid to your designated beneficiary(ies), or your estate.

• Should you die after you are qualified to retire, the Retirement System will pay a monthly continuation allowance to a qualified survivor equal to 50% of the monthly retirement benefit you would have received had you retired on the date of your death.

• Should you die before age 50 but with 25 or more years of service credit, the Retirement System will pay a monthly continuation allowance to a qualified survivor equal to 50% of the monthly retirement benefit you would have received had you been age 50 and retired on the date of your death.

• Should you die before age 50 with at least 10 years but less than 25 years of service, the Retirement System will pay a monthly continuation allowance to a qualified survivor equal to the monthly ordinary disability benefit you would have been entitled to on the day before your death. The minimum monthly allowance is no less than 33 1/3% of your final compensation at the time of your death.

• Should you die with less than 10 years of service credit (and death was due to non-work-related cause), or do not have a qualified survivor, the Retirement System will pay a lump sum survivor benefit equal to your contributions and interest, plus 6 months compensation earnable paid to your designated beneficiary(ies), or your estate.

• If total continuation benefits paid are less than the lump sum account balance plus 6 months earnable compensation, any difference is payable in priority order to remarried spouse/domestic partner, surviving children, or member’s estate