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             ALLMERICA FINANCIAL LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITY COMPANY

                       ENHANCED DEATH BENEFIT "EDB" RIDER


OVERVIEW:

The EDB Rider ("Rider") is an optional rider the Owner has selected. It provides
an enhanced Death Benefit, which guarantees [7%] growth and has an Investment
Cap.

APPLICABILITY:

The Rider is made a part of the contract to which it is attached and is
effective on the issue date.

BENEFIT:

The "Death Benefit" provision of the contract is replaced by the following:

I.   If an Owner, or an Annuitant if the Owner is a non-natural person, dies
     before the Annuity Date and before or on his/her [90th] birthday, the Death
     Benefit will be the greater of:

     (a)  the Accumulated Value on the date on which both the death certificate
          and all necessary claim paperwork have been received at the Principal
          Office increased for any positive Market Value Adjustment ("MVA"); or

     (b)  gross payments accumulated daily at the "EDB Effective Annual Yield"
          shown on the Specifications page, starting on the Effective Valuation
          Date of each gross payment and ending on the date of death, adjusted
          for subsequent withdrawals.

Investment Cap - The value determined in section (b) above cannot exceed [200%]
of the total of gross payments, adjusted for subsequent withdrawals.

II.  If an Owner, or an Annuitant if the Owner is a non-natural person, dies
     before the Annuity Date but after his/her [90th] birthday, the Death
     Benefit will be the greater of:

     (a)  the Accumulated Value on the date on which both the death certificate
          and all necessary claim paperwork have been received at the Principal
          Office increased for any positive MVA; or

     (b)  the Death Benefit, as calculated under Section I, that would have been
          payable on the deceased's [90th] birthday, increased for subsequent
          payments and adjusted for subsequent withdrawals.

RESTRICTED FUND:

For purposes of the "Adjustments for Withdrawals" section below, each of the
following investment options is considered to be a Restricted Fund:

         [The Fixed Account
         The Guarantee Period Accounts]

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ADJUSTMENTS FOR WITHDRAWALS:

Section I(b), the Investment Cap and Section II(b) above are adjusted for
withdrawals. For purposes of determining the type of adjustment, all withdrawals
are classified as either Direct Reduction Withdrawals or Proportionate Reduction
Withdrawals:

     Direct Reduction Withdrawals are withdrawals that directly reduce the
     appropriate value by an amount equal to the amount of the withdrawal.

     Proportionate Reduction Withdrawals are withdrawals that proportionately
     reduce the appropriate value. This proportionate reduction is calculated by
     multiplying the Section I(b), Investment Cap or Section II(b) value,
     determined immediately prior to the withdrawal, by the following:

                AMOUNT OF THE PROPORTIONATE REDUCTION WITHDRAWAL
                    Accumulated Value determined immediately
                             prior to the Withdrawal

ADJUSTMENTS FOR WITHDRAWALS, AS REFERRED TO IN SECTION I(b) AND THE INVESTMENT
CAP:

     Once an allocation is made to a Restricted Fund, all future withdrawals are
     Proportionate Reduction Withdrawals.

     If no allocation has ever been made to a Restricted Fund (see "Restricted
     Fund" above), all withdrawals that total an amount less than [7%] of gross
     payments (determined as of the Effective Valuation Date of each withdrawal)
     in a Contract Year are Direct Reduction Withdrawals. That part of a
     withdrawal that exceeds [7%] of gross payments (determined as of the
     Effective Valuation Date of each withdrawal) in a Contract Year is
     classified as a Proportionate Reduction Withdrawal. Once Proportionate
     Reduction Withdrawals are taken, all future withdrawals in any Contract
     Year are classified as Proportionate Reduction Withdrawals.

ADJUSTMENTS FOR WITHDRAWALS, AS REFERRED TO IN SECTION II(b):

     All withdrawals are Proportionate Reduction Withdrawals.

CHARGE FOR BENEFIT:

While this Rider is in effect, the Company will assess the EDB Charge (see the
Specifications page).

TERMINATION:

This Rider will terminate on the earliest of the following:

          (a)  the Annuity Date;

          (b)  the date the Company determines a Death Benefit is payable and
               the contract is not continued under a spousal takeover; or

          (c)  surrender of the contract.


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                    Signed for the Company at Dover, Delaware




        /s/ Richard M. Reilly                              /s/ Charles F. Cronin

        President                                          Secretary


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             ALLMERICA FINANCIAL LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITY COMPANY

                       ENHANCED DEATH BENEFIT "EDB" RIDER


OVERVIEW:

The EDB Rider ("Rider") is an optional rider the Owner has selected. It provides
an enhanced Death Benefit, which guarantees [7%] growth, has an Investment Cap
and provides a ratchet.

APPLICABILITY:

The Rider is made a part of the contract to which it is attached and is
effective on the issue date.

BENEFIT:

The "Death Benefit" provision of the contract is replaced by the following:

I.   If an Owner, or an Annuitant if the Owner is a non-natural person, dies
     before the Annuity Date and before or on his/her [90th] birthday, the Death
     Benefit will be the greatest of:

     (a)  the Accumulated Value on the date on which both the death certificate
          and all necessary claim paperwork have been received at the Principal
          Office increased for any positive Market Value Adjustment ("MVA");

     (b)  gross payments accumulated daily at the "EDB Effective Annual Yield"
          shown on the Specifications page, starting on the Effective Valuation
          Date of each gross payment and ending on the date of death, adjusted
          for subsequent withdrawals; and

     (c)  the highest Accumulated Value on any contract anniversary prior to the
          date of death, as determined after being increased for any positive
          MVA and subsequent payments and adjusted for subsequent withdrawals.

Investment Cap - The value determined in section (b) above cannot exceed [200%]
of the total of gross payments, adjusted for subsequent withdrawals.

II.  If an Owner, or an Annuitant if the Owner is a non-natural person, dies
     before the Annuity Date but after his/her [90th] birthday, the Death
     Benefit will be the greater of:

     (a)  the Accumulated Value on the date on which both the death certificate
          and all necessary claim paperwork have been received at the Principal
          Office increased for any positive MVA; or

     (b)  the Death Benefit, as calculated under Section I, that would have been
          payable on the deceased's [90th] birthday, increased for subsequent
          payments and adjusted for subsequent withdrawals.


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RESTRICTED FUND:

For purposes of the "Adjustments for Withdrawals" section below, each of the
following investment options is considered to be a Restricted Fund:

         [The Fixed Account
         The Guarantee Period Accounts]

ADJUSTMENTS FOR WITHDRAWALS:

Section I(b), Section I(c), the Investment Cap and Section II(b) above are
adjusted for withdrawals. For purposes of determining the type of adjustment,
all withdrawals are classified as either Direct Reduction Withdrawals or
Proportionate Reduction Withdrawals:

     Direct Reduction Withdrawals are withdrawals that directly reduce the
     appropriate value by an amount equal to the amount of the withdrawal.

     Proportionate Reduction Withdrawals are withdrawals that proportionately
     reduce the appropriate value. This proportionate reduction is calculated by
     multiplying the Section I(b), Section I(c), Investment Cap or Section II(b)
     value, determined immediately prior to the withdrawal, by the following:

                AMOUNT OF THE PROPORTIONATE REDUCTION WITHDRAWAL
                    Accumulated Value determined immediately
                             prior to the Withdrawal

ADJUSTMENTS FOR WITHDRAWALS, AS REFERRED TO IN SECTION I(b) AND THE INVESTMENT
CAP:

     Once an allocation is made to a Restricted Fund, all future withdrawals are
     Proportionate Reduction Withdrawals.

     If no allocation has ever been made to a Restricted Fund (see "Restricted
     Fund" above), all withdrawals that total an amount less than [7%] of gross
     payments (determined as of the Effective Valuation Date of each withdrawal)
     in a Contract Year are Direct Reduction Withdrawals. That part of a
     withdrawal that exceeds [7%] of gross payments (determined as of the
     Effective Valuation Date of each withdrawal) in a Contract Year is
     classified as a Proportionate Reduction Withdrawal. Once Proportionate
     Reduction Withdrawals are taken, all future withdrawals in any Contract
     Year are classified as Proportionate Reduction Withdrawals.

ADJUSTMENTS FOR WITHDRAWALS, AS REFERRED TO IN SECTION I(c) AND SECTION II(b):

     All withdrawals are Proportionate Reduction Withdrawals.

CHARGE FOR BENEFIT:

While this Rider is in effect, the Company will assess the EDB Charge (see the
Specifications page).


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TERMINATION:

This Rider will terminate on the earliest of the following:

     (a)  the Annuity Date;

     (b)  the date the Company determines a Death Benefit is payable and the
          contract is not continued under a spousal takeover; or

     (c)  surrender of the contract.


                    Signed for the Company at Dover, Delaware



         /s/ Richard M. Reilly                             /s/ Charles F. Cronin

         President                                          Secretary

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