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             ALLMERICA FINANCIAL LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITY COMPANY

                       ENHANCED DEATH BENEFIT "EDB" RIDER


OVERVIEW: This EDB Rider ("Rider") is an optional rider the Owner has selected.
It provides an Enhanced Death Benefit, which guarantees 5% growth and provides
an annual step-up.

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

BENEFIT: The "Death Benefit" section of the "DEATH BENEFIT" provision 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 80th 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, as determined by
              the Company, have been received at the Principal Office, increased
              for any positive Market Value Adjustment ("MVA"), if applicable;

         (b)  gross payments accumulated daily at an effective annual yield of
              5%, starting on the Effective Valuation Date of each gross payment
              and ending on the date of death, proportionately reduced for
              withdrawals as they occur; 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, if applicable, and subsequent Payments, and
              proportionately reduced for subsequent withdrawals.

II.      If an Owner, or an Annuitant if the Owner is a non-natural person, dies
         before the Annuity Date and after his/her 80th birthday, but before
         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, as determined by
              the Company, have been received at the Principal Office, increased
              for any positive MVA, if applicable;

         (b)  the value as determined by Section I(b) above on the deceased's
              80th birthday, increased for subsequent Payments and
              proportionately reduced 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, if applicable, and subsequent Payments, and
              proportionately reduced for subsequent withdrawals.

III.     If an Owner, or an Annuitant if the Owner is a non-natural person, dies
         before the Annuity Date, but on or after 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, as determined by
              the Company, have been received at the Principal Office, increased
              for any positive MVA, if applicable;

         (b)  the value as determined by Section I(b) above on the deceased's
              80th birthday, increased for subsequent Payments and
              proportionately reduced for subsequent withdrawals;

         (c)  the highest Accumulated Value on any contract anniversary prior to
              the deceased's 90th birthday, as determined after being increased
              for any positive MVA, if applicable, and subsequent Payments, and
              proportionately reduced for subsequent withdrawals; and

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         (d)  the Accumulated Value, increased for any positive MVA, if
              applicable, on the deceased's 90th birthday, increased for
              subsequent Payments, and proportionately reduced for subsequent
              withdrawals.

PROPORTIONATE REDUCTION: Sections I(b), I(c), II(b), II(c), III(b), III(c) and
III(d) of the "Benefit" provision are proportionately reduced by withdrawals.
This proportionate reduction is calculated by multiplying the Section I(b),
I(c), II(b), II(c), III(b), III(c) or III(d) value, whichever is applicable,
determined immediately prior to the withdrawal by the following:

                            Amount of the withdrawal
                            ------------------------
                    Accumulated Value determined immediately
                             prior to the withdrawal

CHARGE FOR BENEFIT: While this Rider is in effect, the Company will assess an
EDB Charge equal to an annual percentage rate of .35% on a contract monthly
basis. On the last day of each contract month, the monthly charge is deducted
Pro Rata and is equal to 1/12th of the EDB Charge multiplied by the Accumulated
Value of the contract on that date. The EDB Charge only applies during the
Accumulation Phase.

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/ Mark A. Hug                    /s/ Charles F. Cronin

                 President                          Secretary


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             ALLMERICA FINANCIAL LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITY COMPANY

                       ENHANCED DEATH BENEFIT "EDB" RIDER


OVERVIEW: This EDB Rider ("Rider") is an optional rider the Owner has selected.
It provides an Enhanced Death Benefit, which guarantees 5% growth and provides
an annual step-up.

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

BENEFIT: The "Death Benefit" section of the "DEATH BENEFIT" provision 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 80th 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, as determined by
              the Company, have been received at the Principal Office, increased
              for any positive Market Value Adjustment ("MVA"), if applicable;

         (b)  gross payments accumulated daily at an effective annual yield of
              5%, starting on the Effective Valuation Date of each gross payment
              and ending on the date of death, adjusted for withdrawals as they
              occur; 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, if applicable, and subsequent Payments, and adjusted
              for subsequent withdrawals.

II.      If an Owner, or an Annuitant if the Owner is a non-natural person, dies
         before the Annuity Date and after his/her 80th birthday, but before
         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, as determined by
              the Company, have been received at the Principal Office, increased
              for any positive MVA, if applicable;

         (b)  the value as determined by Section I(b) above on the deceased's
              80th birthday, increased for subsequent Payments and 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, if applicable, and subsequent Payments, and adjusted
              for subsequent withdrawals.

III.     If an Owner, or an Annuitant if the Owner is a non-natural person, dies
         before the Annuity Date, but on or after 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, as determined by
              the Company, have been received at the Principal Office, increased
              for any positive MVA, if applicable;

         (b)  the value as determined by Section I(b) above on the deceased's
              80th birthday, increased for subsequent Payments and adjusted for
              subsequent withdrawals;

         (c)  the highest Accumulated Value on any contract anniversary prior to
              the deceased's 90th birthday, as determined after being increased
              for any positive MVA, if applicable, and subsequent Payments, and
              adjusted for subsequent withdrawals; and

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         (d)  the Accumulated Value, increased for any positive MVA, if
              applicable, 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

ADJUSTMENTS FOR WITHDRAWALS:

Sections I(b), I (c), II(b), II(c), III(b), III(c) and III(d) of the "Benefit"
provision are adjusted for withdrawals. For purposes of determining the type of
adjustment, all withdrawals in whole or in part are classified as either
Proportionate Withdrawals or Direct Withdrawals:

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

                     Amount of the proportionate withdrawal
                     --------------------------------------
                    Accumulated Value determined immediately
                             prior to the withdrawal

         Direct Withdrawals are withdrawals that directly reduce the applicable
         value by an amount equal to the amount of the Direct Withdrawal. The
         Maximum Direct Withdrawal is the maximum amount that may be taken as a
         Direct Withdrawal, as determined at the time of each withdrawal. The
         Maximum Direct Withdrawal is equal to $0 if:

         (a)  an allocation has ever been made to a Restricted Fund; or

         (b)  any prior withdrawal, in whole or in part, has ever been
              classified as a Proportionate Withdrawal.

         Otherwise, the Maximum Direct Withdrawal is equal to 5% of gross
         payments (determined as of the Effective Valuation Date of each
         withdrawal) less all prior withdrawals in that Contract Year.

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

         If a withdrawal is less than or equal to the Maximum Direct Withdrawal,
         then the entire withdrawal will be classified as a Direct Withdrawal.

         If a withdrawal is greater than the Maximum Direct Withdrawal, then
         that part of the withdrawal equal to the Maximum Direct Withdrawal will
         be classified as a Direct Withdrawal. That part of the withdrawal that
         exceeds the Maximum Direct Withdrawal will be classified as a
         Proportionate Withdrawal.

         Once a Proportionate Withdrawal is taken, all future withdrawals in any
         Contract Year will be classified as Proportionate Withdrawals. Once an
         allocation is made to a Restricted Fund, all future withdrawals in any
         Contract Year will be classified as Proportionate Withdrawals.

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

         All withdrawals are Proportionate Withdrawals.


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CHARGE FOR BENEFIT: While this Rider is in effect, the Company will assess an
EDB Charge equal to an annual percentage rate of .35% on a contract monthly
basis. On the last day of each contract month, the monthly charge is deducted
Pro Rata and is equal to 1/12th of the EDB Charge multiplied by the Accumulated
Value of the contract on that date. The EDB Charge only applies during the
Accumulation Phase.

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/ Mark A. Hug                    /s/ Charles F. Cronin

                 President                          Secretary