Sec. 39.35.893. - Survivor's pension adjustment. - Alaska Statutes

Sec. 39.35.893. Survivor's pension adjustment.

(a) Once each year, the administrator shall increase payments to a person 60 years of age or older receiving a survivor's pension under AS 39.35.890 (k) or 39.35.892(c) and to a person who has received a survivor's pension under AS 39.35.890 (k) or 39.35.892(c) for at least five years, who is not otherwise eligible for an increase under this section.

(b) The amount of the increase is a percentage of the current survivor's pension equal to the lesser of 50 percent of the increase in the cost of living in the preceding calendar year or six percent.

(c) If a survivor was not receiving a pension during the entire preceding calendar year, the increase in the survivor's pension under this section shall be adjusted by multiplying it by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of months for which the pension was received in the preceding calendar year and the denominator of which is 12.

(d) The administrator shall increase the initial survivor's pension paid to a survivor of a member who died while receiving disability benefits by a percentage equal to the total cumulative percentage that has been applied to the member's disability benefit under AS 39.35.891 .

(e) An increase in benefit payments under this section is effective July 1 of each year and is based on the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for urban wage earners and clerical workers for Anchorage, Alaska, during the previous calendar year, as determined by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

(f) Pension adjustments under this section shall terminate the last day of the month following the date on which a survivor is no longer receiving a survivor's pension under AS 39.35.890 (k) or 39.35.892(c).