Dependent Benefits

Ordinary Death Benefits

The Fund pays an ordinary death benefit to the designated beneficiary or beneficiaries of deceased participants.

Active Officer:

• The benefit is between $6,000 and $12,000.
• If an active officer’s death is before age 50, the benefit is $12,000. After the age of 50, the benefit is reduced by $400 for each year the officer remains in active service but not reduced below $6,000.
• If the death results from injury in the performance of an act or acts of duty prior to retirement, the amount of benefit payable is $12,000.

Retired Officer: If the officer’s death occurs while in receipt of a retirement annuity, the benefit is $6,000. In order to be eligible for this benefit, a participant must have terminated employment with CPD after age 50 and applied for their annuity within 60 days of resigning from CPD.

Annuities for Widows

Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility for widow and surviving spouse annuities require the spouse be married for at least one year to the Active/Retired participant at the date of death. The one year requirement does not apply when an officer dies in the line of duty. In accordance with Illinois law, civil union partners are eligible for the same benefits as widows and spouses of participants.

Marriage on Disability or Retirement

A widow who marries a participant in receipt of disability benefits may be eligible for a widow’s annuity provided they were married for at least one year prior to the participant’s death.

The widow of a participant who receives a refund of contributions for widow’s annuity at the time of retirement is not eligible for widows benefits unless the refund is repaid to the Fund, with interest at a rate of 3% per year compounded annually, from the date of the refund to the date of repayment. The marriage must exist for at least one year prior to the participant’s death for a spouse to become eligible for benefits. Benefits commence upon death of the participant and receipt of the repayment.

Widow’s Annuities Benefit Tiers

Tier 1 widow’s annuities are for widows of members who began working for the CPD prior to January 1, 2011. Tier 2 widow’s annuities are for widows of members who began working for the CPD on or after January 1, 2011.

Death in Service (In the performance of an act of duty) – Tier 1 and Tier 2

• If an officer’s death is the result of an injury incurred in the performance of an act or acts of duty, the officer’s widow is entitled to an initial annuity equal to 75% of the salary the member would have ordinarily been paid at time of death.
• The widow’s annuity (75% of the member’s current salary) will be revised at any salary increase and longevity raise the member would have been entitled to if they would have be in active discharge of their duties until reaching the age 63.
• Once the widow’s annuity reaches the member’s 63 birthday, the widow’s annuity will remain fixed until the widow’s death.

Death in Service (Non-duty related)

Tier 1 Widows

If the deceased member was an active police officer at the time of death and had at least 1 1/2 years of creditable service, the widow’s annuity will be the greater of:

• 30% of the annual maximum salary attached to the classified civil service position of a first class patrolman at the time of his death; or
• 50% of the retirement annuity the deceased member would have been eligible to receive if he had retired from service on the day before his death.

This annuity is fixed at the time of the member’s death and does not increase.

Tier 2 Widows

 

Minimum 1 ½ years and less than 10 years of service

If the deceased member was an active police officer with at least 1 ½ but less than 10 years of service at the time of death, the Tier 2 surviving spouse’s annuity will be 30% of the annual maximum salary attached to the classified civil service position of a first class patrolman at the time of his death.

 

10 years of service or more

If the deceased policeman was not receiving an earned annuity but had at least 10 years of service at the time of death, the Tier 2 surviving spouse’s will be the greater of:

• 30% of the annual maximum salary attached to the classified civil service position of a first class patrolman at the time of his death; or
• 66 2/3% of the Tier 2 monthly retirement annuity that the deceased policeman would have been eligible to receive.

The surviving spouse’s annuity will increase by 3% or one-half the annual unadjusted percentage increase (but not less than zero) in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the 12 months ending with the September preceding each November 1, whichever is less, of the originally granted Tier 2 surviving spouse’s annuity. The increase will take effect on the January 1 next occurring after the:

• Recipient of the Tier 2 surviving spouse’s annuity reaches age 60; or
• First anniversary of the Tier 2 surviving spouse’s annuity start date, whichever is later, and on each January 1 thereafter.

Retired Member Death

Tier 1 Widows

If the deceased member was receiving a retirement annuity at the time of death, the widow’s annuity will be equal to 50% of the member’s annuity. The annuity is not subject to the automatic annual increase.

Tier 2 Widows

If the deceased member was receiving an earned annuity at the date of death, the Tier 2 surviving spouse’s annuity will be 66 2/3% of the member’s earned annuity at the date of death.

This surviving spouse’s annuity will increase by 3% or one-half the annual unadjusted percentage increase (but not less than zero) in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the 12 months ending with the September preceding each November 1, whichever is less, of the originally granted Tier 2 surviving spouse’s annuity. The increase will take effect on the January 1 next occurring after the:

• Recipient of the Tier 2 surviving spouse’s annuity reaches age 60; or
• First anniversary of the Tier 2 surviving spouse’s annuity start date, whichever is later, and on each January 1 thereafter.

Minimum Widows Annuities – Tier 1 and Tier 2

Beginning January 1, 2017, the minimum widow’s annuity under this Article will be no less than 125% of the Federal Poverty Level for all persons receiving widow’s annuities on or after that date.

Annuities For Children

Tier 1 and Tier 2

A child’s annuity is provided for unmarried natural or adopted children of police officers, payable monthly, from the date of death until the child’s attainment of age 18 except as limited by the provisions of 40 ILCS 5/5-152.

Child annuities will be paid in an amount equal to:

• 10% of the annual maximum salary attached to the classified civil service position of a first class patrolman on the date of the officer’s death for each child while a widow or widower of the deceased policeman survives; or
• 15% of the annual maximum salary attached to the classified civil service position of a first class patrolman on the date of the officer’s death while no widow or widower shall survive.

Family Maximums

• The combined annuities for the family of a member whose death resulted from an act of duty, shall not exceed the salary that would ordinarily have been paid to him if he had been in the active discharge of his duties.
• The combined annuities for the family of a member whose death resulted from any cause other than the performance of an act of duty, shall not exceed an amount equal to 60% of the salary that would ordinarily have been paid to him if he had been in the active discharge of his duties.

If the child is disabled (and the disability manifests prior to age 18), benefits may be available in the same manner as child’s annuity benefits and are payable to the parent of such child as the natural guardian, a court appointed guardian, or a special needs trust. Benefits terminate at death, if that the child is no longer disabled because of the handicap, or if the child marries.

For the purposes of this subsection, “disability” means inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.

Annuities For Parents

A parent’s annuity may be available to the natural parent or parents of a member as a result of the member’s death if there is no surviving spouse or child entitled to an annuity. In order to award a parent’s annuity, the Board must receive satisfactory proof that the member was contributing to the support of the parent or parents at the time of death. Upon proving support, each eligible surviving parent’s annuity will be 18% of the current annual salary attached to the classified position held by the member at the time of death or withdrawal from service.