scope:

PURPOSE

Background

The Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP), established September 21, 1972, provides a survivor benefit program for military personnel in retirement to complement the survivor benefits under Social Security laws. This plan gives all retiring Uniformed Services retirees an opportunity to elect to have their retired pay reduced by a designated amount in order to provide their survivors an annuity payable after the retiree's death.

A. Under this plan, a member who retired before September 21, 1972 and who had previously elected to participate in the Retired Serviceman's Family Protection Plan (RSFPP), had the option to retain or cancel the RSFPP coverage when electing to participate in the SBP.

B. The plan provides without cost a minimum guarantee to a widow or widower of a member who died before March 21, 1974. For additional information see Chapter 46. A surviving spouse of a member who died before November 1, 1953 is entitled to an annuity which may be in addition to the annuity payable under the minimum income annuity provisions.