If you are married for at least one year at the time of your death, your death benefit, if any, is payable to your spouse. If you’re married and die less than one year after the date of marriage, your death benefit is payable to your spouse unless you designated a different beneficiary after your marriage. If you are not married, then the beneficiary designation you made under this Plan (or, if there is no such designation, the most recent beneficiary designation in effect under the Carpenters’ Health and Welfare Trust Fund) will determine who gets your death benefit from the Pension Plan. If no beneficiary has been named at all, then the beneficiary shall be your surviving spouse, or if none, your living descendants (on a “per stirpes” basis), or if there are none, your estate.
A special rule applies if your most recently designated beneficiary at the time of your death is a former spouse, where the divorce occurred after the beneficiary designation was made. Your former spouse will not be treated as your designated beneficiary; your beneficiary will be determined as if your former spouse died before you did.
More information can be found online in the Pension Summary Plan Description.
