When a member retires and has a spouse eligible for a surviving spouse benefit, a joint and survivor pension is established for the member and the spouse. Even though they are divorced after retirement, that spouse remains eligible for the surviving spouse pension if the spouse survives the retired member.
If this spouse does not survive the member, then a surviving spouse pension is payable to the member’s current spouse if they had been married or in a civil union at least one year prior to the member’s death.