Section 226.32 - Spouse tier IIThe spouse tier II benefit is computed as follows:
(a) The employee's tier II amount as computed under § 226.11 of this part, after any reduction for entitlement to a vested dual benefit but before reduction for the railroad retirement family maximum, is multiplied by 45 percent. The spouse tier II is recomputed if the employee's tier II rate is reduced for entitlement to a vested dual benefit after the beginning date of the spouse annuity.(b) If tier I of a spouse annuity is reduced for the spouse's employee annuity, as provided for in § 226.30(g) of this part, the reduction is restored in tier II. The restored amount is payable on the effective date of the spouse or the employee tier I benefit, whichever is later. The previous tier II rate is increased by the restored amount, which is determined as follows:(1)Initial restored amount. The restored amount is the amount by which the spouse tier I was reduced by reason of receipt of an employee annuity on the date the restored amount is first payable. The restored amount is only payable if either the employee or spouse had railroad service prior to 1975.(2)Recomputation of restored amount. The restored amount is recomputed if the spouse becomes entitled to a government pension, a social security benefit, or a different type of social security benefit after the date the initial restored amount is effective. The recomputed amount is the amount by which the spouse tier I is reduced by reason of receipt of an employee annuity on the effective date of the entitlement to a government pension or social security benefit.(3)Cost-of-living increase in restored amount. If an initial or recomputed restored amount is effective before the effective date of the cost-of-living increase shown in paragraph (e) of this section, the restored amount is multiplied by the percentage increase that applies. The result is added to the restored amount on the effective date of the increase for each year that the increase is payable.(c) If the employee's tier II has been reduced pursuant to section 3(g)(2) of the Railroad Retirement Act (takeback provision) the spouse tier II is reduced by one half of the "takeback" in the employee tier II.(d) If the railroad retirement family maximum applies, as shown in §§ 226.50-226 .52 of this part, the spouse tier II rate, as determined in paragraphs (a) through (c) of this section, is reduced by the smaller of-(1) The total railroad retirement maximum reduction amount; or(2) The previous spouse tier II rate.(e) The tier II rate, from paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, is increased by the same percentage as the employee tier II increase described in § 226.11(e) of this part.(f) If the spouse is entitled to a reduced age annuity (see § 216.51 of this chapter), the tier II rate, as determined in paragraphs (a) through (e) of this section is reduced in the same manner as the tier I as provided for in § 226.30(e) of this part.Example: An employee's tier II rate is $329.63 effective October 17, 1981. The spouse rate is $148.33 (45 percent * $329.63) effective October 17, 1981. This is increased to $151.89 effective June 1, 1982, by a cost-of-living increase of 2.4 percent. The spouse is 35 months under age 65, the present retirement age, when the annuity begins. The $151.89 rate is multiplied by 35/144 to produce an age reduction of $36.92. This is subtracted from $151.89 to produce a final rate of $114.97.