(a) A peace officer, upon becoming a member of the fund and after having designated a beneficiary, shall be issued a certificate by the board whereby the board shall agree to pay the sum of $3,500.00, or such lesser amount as might be arrived at under this Code section, to such beneficiary upon the death of such member. If a member has received $1,000.00 or more in retirement benefits at the time of his or her death, such beneficiary shall only be entitled to receive $2,500.00 upon the death of such member. If a member has received less than $1,000.00 in retirement benefits at the time of his or her death, such beneficiary shall only be entitled to receive an amount which, when added to the amount already received by the member, will total $3,500.00; provided, however, that the amount to be paid to a member who dies with less than five years of service shall be $1,000.00.

(b) The designated beneficiary of any dues-paying member who receives an injury by external accident or violence arising out of and in the course of the employment as a peace officer and not resulting from willful misconduct of such officer, which injury is the direct and proximate cause of death within 12 months of the date of the injury, shall, upon application to the board and lawful proof of such injury and death as the direct and proximate result thereof, be paid a sum of $5,500.00, provided that, if such peace officer received any disability benefits under this chapter, the $5,500.00 death benefit provided for under this Code section shall be reduced in the amount of such disability benefits received; provided, further, that in no event shall such death benefit be less than $2,500.00, regardless of the amount of benefits such peace officer may have drawn prior to his death.

(c) Applications for such benefits shall contain such information as the board shall desire.