40 ILCS 5/13-306

(40 ILCS 5/13-306) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 13-306)

Sec. 13-306. Computation of surviving spouse's annuity.

(a) Computation of the annuity. The surviving spouse's annuity shall be equal to 60% of the retirement annuity earned and accrued to the credit of the deceased employee, whether death occurs while in service or after withdrawal, plus 1% for each year of total service of the employee to a maximum of 85%; provided, however, that if the employee's death arises out of and in the course of the employee's service to the employer and is compensable under either the Illinois Workers' Compensation Act or Illinois Workers' Occupational Diseases Act, the surviving spouse's annuity is payable regardless of the employee's length of service and shall be not less than 50% of the employee's salary at the date of death.

For any death in service the early retirement discount required under Section 13-302(b) shall not be applied in computing the retirement annuity upon which is based the surviving spouse's annuity.

For any death after withdrawal and prior to application for annuity benefits, the early retirement discount required under Section 13-302(b) shall be applied in computing the retirement annuity upon which the surviving spouse's annuity is based. The maximum age discount applied to the employee's retirement annuity shall not exceed 60%.

Further, the annuity for a surviving spouse of a withdrawn employee who was eligible for an annuity upon attainment of age 62 pursuant to Section 13-301(b) but who died prior to age 60 shall be based upon an employee annuity that has been reduced by 1/2% for each full month between the date the surviving spouse's annuity begins and the employee's attainment of age 60.

(b) Reciprocal service. For any employee or annuitant who retires on or after July 1, 1985 and whose death occurs after January 1, 1991, having at least 15 years of service with the employer under this Article, and who was eligible at the time of death or elected at the time of retirement to have his or her retirement annuity calculated as provided in Section 20-131 of this Code, the surviving spouse benefit shall be calculated as of the date of the employee's death as indicated in subsection (a) as a percentage of the employee's total benefit as if all service had been with the employer. That benefit shall then be reduced by the amounts payable by each of the reciprocal funds as of the date of death so that the total surviving spouse benefit at that date will be equal to the benefit which would have been payable had all service been with the employer under this Article.

(c) Discount for age differential. The annuity for a surviving spouse shall be discounted by 0.25% for each full month that the spouse is younger than the employee as of the date of withdrawal from service or death in service to a maximum discount of 60% of the surviving spouse annuity as calculated under subsections (a), (b), and (e) of this Section. The discount shall be reduced by 10% for each full year the marriage has been in continuous effect as of the date of withdrawal or death in service. There shall be no discount if the marriage has been in continuous effect for 10 full years or more at the time of withdrawal or death in service.

(d) Annual increase. Effective August 23, 1989, on the first day of each calendar month in which there occurs an anniversary of the employee's date of retirement or date of death, whichever occurred first, the surviving spouse's annuity, other than a term annuity under Section 13-307, shall be increased by an amount equal to 3% of the amount of the annuity. Beginning January 1, 1993, all annual increases payable under this subsection (or any predecessor provision of this Article) shall be calculated at the rate of 3% of the monthly annuity payable at the time of the increase, including any increases previously granted under this Article.

Beginning January 1, 1993, surviving spouse annuitants whose deceased spouse died, retired or withdrew from service before August 23, 1989 with at least 10 years of service under this Article shall be eligible for the annual increases provided under this subsection.

(e) Minimum surviving spouse's annuity.

(1) Beginning January 1, 1993, the minimum monthly surviving spouse's annuity shall be $500 for any annuitant whose deceased spouse had at least 10 years of service under this Article, other than a surviving spouse who is a term annuitant or whose deceased spouse began receiving a retirement annuity under this Article before attainment of age 60. Any such surviving spouse annuitant who is receiving a monthly annuity of less than $500 shall have the annuity increased to $500 on that date.

Beginning January 1, 1993, the minimum monthly surviving spouse's annuity shall be $250 for any annuitant (other than a term or reciprocal annuitant or an annuitant survivor under subsection (d) of Section 13-301) whose deceased spouse had less than 10 years of service under this Article, and for any annuitant (other than a term annuitant) whose deceased spouse had at least 10 years of service under this Article and began receiving a retirement annuity under this Article before attainment of age 60. Any such surviving spouse annuitant who is receiving a monthly annuity of less than $250 shall have the annuity increased to $250 on that date.

(2) Beginning August 1, 2001 (and without regard to whether the deceased spouse was in service on or after that date), the minimum monthly surviving spouse's annuity for any annuitant whose deceased spouse had at least 10 years of service shall be the greater of the following:

(A) An amount equal to $500, plus $25 for each year of the deceased spouse's service in excess of 10, not to exceed $750 for an annuitant whose deceased spouse had 20 or more years of service. This subdivision (A) is not applicable if the deceased spouse received a retirement annuity that was subject to an early retirement discount.

(B) An amount equal to (i) 50% of the retirement annuity earned and accrued to the credit of the deceased spouse at the time of death, plus (ii) the amount of any annual increases applicable to the surviving spouse's annuity (including the amount of any reversionary annuity) under subsection (d) before July 12, 2001. In any case in which a refund of excess contributions for the surviving spouse annuity has been paid by the Fund and the surviving spouse annuity is increased due to the application of this subdivision (B), the amount of that refund shall be recovered by the Fund as an offset against the amount of the increase in annuity arising from the application of this subdivision (B).

In the case of a reciprocal annuity, the minimum annuity calculated under this subdivision (e)(2) shall apply only if the deceased spouse of the annuitant had at least 10 years of service under this Article, and the amount of the minimum annuity shall be reduced by the sum of all the reciprocal annuities payable to the annuitant by other participating systems under Article 20 of this Code.

The minimum annuity calculated under this subdivision (e)(2) is in addition to the amount of any reversionary annuity that may be payable.

(3) Beginning August 1, 2001 (and without regard to whether the deceased spouse was in service on or after that date), any surviving spouse who is receiving a term annuity under Section 13-307 or any predecessor provision of this Article may have that term annuity recalculated and converted to a minimum surviving spouse annuity under this subsection (e).

(4) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection, beginning August 1, 2001, an annuitant whose deceased spouse retired before August 23, 1989 with at least 10 years of service under this Article but before attaining age 60 (regardless of whether the retirement annuity was subject to an early retirement discount) shall be entitled to the same minimum monthly surviving spouse's annuity under this subsection as an annuitant whose deceased spouse retired with at least 10 years of service under this Article and after attaining age 60. Further notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection, beginning on the first day of the month following the month in which this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly takes effect, an annuitant whose deceased spouse retired on or after August 23, 1989 with at least 10 years of service under this Article but before attaining age 60 (regardless of whether the retirement annuity was subject to an early retirement discount) shall be entitled to the same minimum monthly surviving spouse's annuity under this subsection as an annuitant whose deceased spouse retired with at least 10 years of service under this Article and after attaining age 60.

(5) The minimum annuity provided under this subsection (e) shall be subject to the age discount provided under subsection (c) of this Section.

(Source: P.A. 94-621, eff. 8-18-05.)