Post-retirement election of a fully reduced annuity or one-half reduced annuity to provide a current spouse annuity.
5 C.F.R. § 842.612
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01(a) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, a retiree who was unmarried at the time of retirement may elect, within 2 years after a post-retirement marriage, a fully reduced annuity or a one-half reduced annuity to provide a current spouse annuity.
(b) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, a retiree who was married at the time of retirement may elect, within 2 years after a post-retirement marriage—
(1) A fully reduced annuity or a one-half reduced annuity to provide a current spouse annuity if—
(i) The retiree was awarded a fully reduced annuity under § 842.603 at the time of retirement; or
(ii) The election at the time of retirement was made with a waiver of spousal consent in accordance with § 842.607; or
(iii) The marriage at the time of retirement was to a person other than the spouse who would receive a current spouse annuity based on the post-retirement election; or
(2) A one-half reduced annuity to provide a current spouse annuity if—
(i) The retiree elected a one-half reduced annuity under § 842.606 at the time of retirement;
(ii) The election at the time of retirement was made with spousal consent in accordance with § 842.606; and
(iii) The marriage at the time of retirement was to the same person who would receive a current spouse annuity based on the post-retirement election.
(c)(1) Qualifying court orders prevent payment of current spouse annuities to the extent necessary to comply with the court order and § 842.613.
(2) If an election under this section causes the total of all current and former spouse annuities provided by a qualifying court order or elected under § 842.604, § 842.611, or this section to exceed the maximum survivor annuity permitted under § 842.613, OPM will accept the election but will pay the portion in excess of the maximum only when permitted by § 842.613(c).
(d)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (d)(2) or (e)(3) of this section, a retiree making an election under this section must deposit an amount equal to the difference between the amount of annuity actually paid to the retiree and the amount of annuity that would have been paid if the reduction elected under paragraphs (a) or (b) of this section had been in effect continuously since the time of retirement, plus 6 percent annual interest, computed under § 841.606 of this chapter, from the date when each difference occurred.
(2) An election under this section may be made without deposit, if that election prospectively voids an election of an insurable interest annuity.
(e)(1) An election under this section is irrevocable when received by OPM.
(2) An election under this section is effective when the marriage duration requirements of § 843.303 of this chapter are satisfied.
(3) If an election under paragraph (a) or (b) of this section does not become effective, no deposit under paragraph (d) of this section is required.
(4) If payment of the deposit under paragraph (d) of this section is not required because the election never became effective and if some or all of the deposit has been paid, the amount paid will be returned to the retiree, or, if the retiree has died, to the person who would be entitled to any lump-sum benefits under the order of precedence in section 8424 of title 5, United States Code.
(f) Any reduction in an annuity to provide a current spouse annuity will terminate effective on the first day of the month after the marriage to the current spouse ends, unless—
(1) The retiree elects, within 2 years after a divorce terminates the marriage, to continue the reduction to provide for a former spouse annuity; or
(2) A qualifying court order requires the retiree to provide a former spouse annuity.
(g) The amount of the reduction to provide a current spouse annuity under this section equals—
(1) Ten percent of the employee's or Member's annuity if the employee or Member elects a fully reduced annuity; or
(2) Five percent of the employee's or Member's annuity if the employee or Member elects a one-half reduced annuity.
(h) If a retiree who is receiving a reduced annuity to provide a former spouse annuity and who has remarried that former spouse (before the former spouse attained age 55) dies, the retiree will be deemed to have elected to continue the reduction to provide a current spouse annuity unless the retiree requests (or has requested) in writing that OPM terminate the reduction.
Source: eCFRURL: https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2024-07-01/title-5.xmlFetched: 7/26/2026