Alternative Death Benefit
If you die in service after you are eligible to retire, an alternative death benefit may be payable. This benefit would equal the pension reserve that would have been established under the State Police retirement plan (Section 381-b) had you retired on your date of death. “Pension reserve” is an actuarial term for the value of your retirement benefit at the time of retirement.
Out-of-Service Death Benefit
If you are a vested member with at least ten years of credited service, but you have not retired, and you die less than one year after leaving public employment, your beneficiary would receive 100 percent of your ordinary death benefit, unless you were otherwise gainfully employed. If you die within one year of leaving your public employer, but were gainfully employed during that time, or if you die more than one year after leaving public employment, your beneficiary may be entitled to 50 percent of the ordinary death benefit.