---
kind: "section"
citation: "22 U.S.C. § 4047"
title: "22"
title_heading: "Foreign Relations and Intercourse"
number: "4047"
heading: "Payment of annuity"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/22/4047"
units:
  - "Chapter 52 — Foreign Service"
  - "Subchapter VIII — Foreign Service Retirement and Disability"
  - "Part I — Foreign Service Retirement and Disability System"
---

# §4047. Payment of annuity

- (a) **Commencement of annuity—**
  - (1) Except as otherwise provided in [paragraph (2)](#a-2), the annuity of a [participant](/usc/22/4071a.md?p=5) who has met the eligibility requirements for an annuity shall commence on the first day of the month after—
    - (A) separation from the Service occurs; or
    - (B) pay ceases and the service and age requirements for entitlement to annuity are met.
  - (2) The annuity of—
    - (A) a [participant](/usc/22/4071a.md?p=5) who is retired and is eligible for benefits under [section 4009(a) of this title](/usc/22/4009.md?p=a) or a [participant](/usc/22/4071a.md?p=5) who is retired under [section 4053 of this title](/usc/22/4053.md) or is otherwise involuntarily separated from the Service, except by removal for cause on charges of misconduct or delinquency,
    - (B) a [participant](/usc/22/4071a.md?p=5) retiring under [section 4048 of this title](/usc/22/4048.md) due to a disability, and
    - (C) a [participant](/usc/22/4071a.md?p=5) who serves 3 days or less in the month of retirement—

    shall commence on the day after separation from the Service or the day after pay ceases and the requirements for entitlement to annuity are met.

- (b) **Survivor’s annuity; application; proof of eligibility; payment to estate—** The annuity to a survivor shall become effective as otherwise specified but shall not be paid until the survivor submits an application for such annuity, supported by such proof of eligibility as the Secretary of State may require. If such application or proof of eligibility is not submitted during the lifetime of an otherwise eligible individual, no annuity shall be due or payable to his or her estate.
- (c) **Waiver—** An individual entitled to annuity from the [Fund](/usc/22/4071a.md?p=2) may decline to accept all or any part of the annuity by submitting a signed waiver to the Secretary of State. The waiver may be revoked in writing at any time. Payment of the annuity waived may not be made for the period during which the waiver was in effect.
- (d) **Recovery of overpayment—** Recovery of overpayments under this part may not be made from an individual when, in the judgment of the Secretary of State, the individual is without fault and recovery would be against equity and good conscience or administratively infeasible.
- (e) **Alternate forms of annuities—**
  - (1) The Secretary of State shall prescribe regulations under which any [participant](/usc/22/4071a.md?p=5) who has a life-threatening affliction or other critical medical condition may, at the time of retiring under this part (other than under [section 4048 of this title](/usc/22/4048.md)), elect annuity benefits under this section instead of any other benefits under this part (including survivor benefits) based on the service of the [participant](/usc/22/4071a.md?p=5).
  - (2) Subject to [paragraph (3)](#e-3), the Secretary of State shall by regulation provide for such alternative forms of annuities as the [Secretary](/usc/22/3902.md?p=10) considers appropriate, except that among the alternatives offered shall be—
    - (A) an alternative which provides for—
      - (i) payment of the [lump-sum credit](/usc/22/4044.md?p=8) (excluding interest) to the [participant](/usc/22/4071a.md?p=5); and
      - (ii) payment of an annuity to the [participant](/usc/22/4071a.md?p=5) for life; and
    - (B) in the case of a [participant](/usc/22/4071a.md?p=5) who is married at the time of retirement, an alternative which provides for—
      - (i) payment of the [lump-sum credit](/usc/22/4044.md?p=8) (excluding interest) to the [participant](/usc/22/4071a.md?p=5); and
      - (ii) payment of an annuity to the [participant](/usc/22/4071a.md?p=5) for life, with a survivor annuity payable for the life of a [surviving spouse](/usc/22/4044.md?p=13).
  - (3) Each alternative provided for under [paragraph (2)](#e-2) shall, to the extent practicable, be designed such that the total value of the benefits provided under such alternative (including any [lump-sum credit](/usc/22/4044.md?p=8)) is actuarially equivalent to the value of the annuity which would otherwise be provided the [participant](/usc/22/4071a.md?p=5) under this part, as computed under [section 4046(a) of this title](/usc/22/4046.md?p=a).
  - (4) A [participant](/usc/22/4071a.md?p=5) who, at the time of retiring under this part—
    - (A) is married, shall be ineligible to make an election under this section unless a waiver is made under [section 4046(b)(1)(B) of this title](/usc/22/4046.md?p=b-1-B); or
    - (B) has a [former spouse](/usc/22/4044.md?p=6), shall be ineligible to make an election under this section if the [former spouse](/usc/22/4044.md?p=6) is entitled to benefits under this part (based on the service of the [participant](/usc/22/4071a.md?p=5)) unless a waiver has been made under [section 4046(b)(1)(C) of this title](/usc/22/4046.md?p=b-1-C).
  - (5) A [participant](/usc/22/4071a.md?p=5) who is married at the time of retiring under this part and who makes an election under this section may, during the 18-month period beginning on the date of retirement, make the election provided for under [section 4046(n) of this title](/usc/22/4046.md?p=n), subject to the deposit requirement thereunder.
  - (6) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any [lump-sum credit](/usc/22/4044.md?p=8) provided pursuant to an election under this subsection shall not preclude an individual from receiving any other benefits under this subsection.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 96–465, title I, § 807, Oct. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 2109; Ex. Ord. No. 12446, § 3(a), Oct. 17, 1983, 48 F.R. 48443; Pub. L. 99–335, title IV, §§ 402(a)(2), 408, June 6, 1986, 100 Stat. 609, 612; Pub. L. 103–66, title XI, § 11002(b), Aug. 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 409.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1993—Subsec. (e)(1). Pub. L. 103–66 substituted “any participant who has a life-threatening affliction or other critical medical condition” for “a participant”.

1986—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 99–335, § 402(a)(2), substituted “part” for “subchapter”.

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 99–335, § 408, added subsec. (e).

1983—Subsec. (a). Ex. Ord. No. 12446 amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: “Except as otherwise provided, the annuity of a former participant who has met the eligibility requirements for an annuity shall commence on the day after separation from the Service or on the day after pay ceases. The annuity of a former participant who is entitled to a deferred annuity under this chapter shall become effective on the day he or she attains age 60.”

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1993 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 103–66 effective Oct. 1, 1994, and applicable with respect to any annuity commencing on or after that date, see section 11002(d) of Pub. L. 103–66, set out as a note under section 8343a of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

### Effective Date of 1986 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 99–335 effective Jan. 1, 1987, see section 702(a) of Pub. L. 99–335, set out as an Effective Date note under section 8401 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

### Effective Date of 1983 Amendment

Amendment by Ex. Ord. No. 12446 effective 30 days after Oct. 17, 1983, see section 3(b) of Ex. Ord. No. 12446, set out under section 4067 of this title.