a. The board shall pay a dependent benefit to the surviving spouse, child or children or dependent parent or parents of any deceased member if the death of such member occur during his or her service or after he or she was retired from service. The amount of any such dependent benefit to be paid by the board to each of the several representatives of such member, in case there shall be more than one, from time to time, may be determined by such board according to the circumstances of each case. The annual dependent benefit to the representative or representatives of such member, however, shall be six hundred dollars, and no part of such sum shall be paid to any such surviving spouse who shall remarry, after such remarriage, or to any child after it shall have reached the age of eighteen years.
b. Dependent benefits shall be granted to the surviving spouse, child or children or dependent parent or parents of a member pursuant to this section only if such member, upon becoming a member, shall elect to contribute the additional deductions provided by subdivision d of section 13-227 of this subchapter.
c. The benefits granted pursuant to this section shall be in addition to any other benefit provided for by this subchapter.