Qualified Joint And Survivor Annuity - QJSA

An annuity payment from a qualified plan or 403(b) account that provides a life annuity to the participant and a survivor annuity for the spouse after the participant’s death. QJSA rules apply to money-purchase pension plans, defined-benefit plans and target benefits. They can also apply to profit-sharing and 401(k) plans, but only if so elected under the plan.

The plan document usually provides the annuity percentage, but the general requirement is that the survivor annuity must be 50-100% of the annuity paid to the participant. If the participant is unmarried, the annuity is over his or her life expectancy.

Participants can waive the QJSA payment and receive lump-sum or ad-hoc distributions instead, provided the participant's spouse consents to the waiver and the spousal waiver is witnessed by a plan representative or notary public.