Current through all regulations passed and filed through September 16, 2024
(A) For purposes of this rule and rules
145-1-71
and
145-1-73
of the Administrative Code:
(1) "Finalized
retirement benefit" means:
(a) Any monthly
benefit amount paid to a benefit recipient pursuant to section
145.32,
145.33,
145.331,
145.332,
145.35,
145.36,
145.361,
145.37 or
145.46 of the Revised Code
calculated after the receipt of the final report of retirement contributions
upon which the member appears;
(b)
Any monthly benefit amount paid to a beneficiary pursuant to section
145.45 of the Revised Code
calculated after the receipt of the final report of retirement contributions
upon which the member appears;
(c)
Any monthly benefit amount paid pursuant to section
9.03 of the combined plan
document calculated after the receipt of the final report of retirement
contributions upon which the member appears;
(d) Any monthly annuity paid pursuant to
section 9.02 of the combined or
member-directed plan documents after the receipt of the final report of
retirement contributions upon which the member appears.
(2) "Interim benefit payment" means:
(a) Any monthly benefit amount paid to a
benefit recipient pursuant to section
145.32,
145.33,
145.331,
145.332,
145.35,
145.36,
145.361,
145.37 or
145.46 of the Revised Code prior
to the payment of a finalized retirement benefit;
(b) Any monthly benefit amount paid to a
beneficiary pursuant to section
145.45 of the Revised Code prior
to the payment of a finalized retirement benefit;
(c) Any monthly benefit amount paid pursuant
to section 9.03 of the combined plan
document prior to the payment of a finalized retirement benefit;
(d) Any monthly annuity paid pursuant to
section 9.02 of the combined or
member-directed plan documents prior to the payment of a finalized retirement
benefit.
(3)
"Beneficiary" means a person qualified to receive a monthly benefit pursuant to
section 145.45 of the Revised Code after
the death of a member or disability recipient.
(4) "Partial lump sum option payment" means
the lump sum payment described in division (A)(2) of section
145.45, division (E)(1) of
section 145.46 of the Revised Code, or
section 9.03(e)(4) of
the combined plan document.
(5)
"Initial benefit payment" means the first benefit check or payment to a member
or beneficiary. In the case that more than one initial payment is disbursed
from one or more of the retirement plans defined in rule
145-1-81 of the
Administrative Code, the first payment issued by the retirement system shall
constitute the initial benefit payment for purposes of determining whether a
benefit recipient is eligible to withdraw an application.
(B) Interim benefit payments may be paid in
accordance with this rule.
(C) A
beneficiary applying for a benefit under division (A)(2) of section
145.45 of the Revised Code, or a
member or contributor applying for a monthly benefit under section
145.32,
145.33,
145.331,
145.332,
145.37,
145.46, or
145.64 of the Revised Code, or
section 9.03 of the combined plan
document that includes a partial lump sum option payment, shall receive the
partial lump sum option payment no earlier than ninety days after issuance of
the initial benefit payment.
(D) A
member or contributor of the public employees retirement system may receive an
interim benefit payment if either of the following is fully satisfied:
(1)
(a) The
member is eligible for retirement pursuant to section
145.32,
145.33,
145.331,
145.332,
145.37, or
145.46 of the Revised Code or
article IX of the combined or member-directed plan document at the time the
retirement application is filed;
(b) The member has filed all applications,
forms and documents necessary to process the retirement benefit at least thirty
days prior to the effective retirement benefit date;
(c) The member's employer has certified the
last day for which the member will receive earnable salary;
(d) The member or contributor who makes
payment for an additional annuity, pursuant to section
145.62 of the Revised Code, has
at least one hundred dollars in an additional annuity account.
(2)
(a) The member or contributor is eligible for
disability benefits pursuant to section
145.35,
145.36,
145.361, or
145.37 of the Revised
Code;
(b) The public employees
retirement board has approved the application for disability benefits by the
member or contributor; and
(c) In
the case of a member, the member's employer has certified the last day for
which the member will receive earnable salary.
(E) A beneficiary may receive an interim
benefit payment if all of the following are satisfied:
(1) The beneficiary is eligible for a benefit
pursuant to section 145.45 of the Revised Code at
the time the application is filed;
(2) The beneficiary has filed all
applications, forms and documents necessary to process the benefit.
(F)
(1) For benefits payable under the
traditional pension plan and section
9.03 of the combined plan
document, an interim benefit payment shall be calculated using the earnable
salary and service credit available in the account of a member or contributor
at the time of the calculation. For a monthly annuity payment option under
section 9.02 of the combined or
member-directed plan document, an interim benefit payment shall be calculated
using the portion of the member's individual defined contribution account
specified by the member on the member's retirement application.
(2)
(a)
Except as provided in paragraph (F)(3) of this rule, the retirement system
shall revise the monthly benefit to which the member is entitled following the
receipt of the final report of retirement contributions upon which the member
appears.
(b) The retirement system
shall revise the monthly benefit to which a beneficiary is entitled upon
receipt of a report of contributions on which the deceased member appears if
the contributions were not used in the calculation of the interim benefit
payment. If no additional contributions are received by the retirement system,
the interim benefit payment shall be the finalized retirement
benefit.
(c)
(i) If the finalized retirement benefit is
greater than the interim benefit payment, the retirement system shall increase
the current benefit and issue a retroactive payment for the difference between
the prior interim benefit payment and the finalized retirement
benefit.
(ii) If the finalized
retirement benefit is less than the interim benefit payment, the retirement
system shall decrease the current benefit. The benefit recipient or the
beneficiary shall repay to the retirement system the amount of the overpayment
of benefits. If the benefit recipient or the beneficiary fails to repay such
amount, the retirement system shall withhold the amount from any benefit due
the benefit recipient or the beneficiary.
(3) Monthly additional annuity payments shall
commence as described in rule
145-2-43
of the Administrative Code.
(G) A member or a beneficiary may withdraw
their application for benefits prior to receipt of the initial benefit payment
by providing the retirement system with either a
written request to withdraw the application over the signature of the member or
beneficiary or a verbal request to withdraw the
application.
(H)
(1) A beneficiary applying for a benefit
under division (A)(2) of section
145.45 of the Revised Code, or a
member or contributor applying for a monthly benefit under section
145.32,
145.33,
145.331,
145.332,
145.37,
145.46, or
145.64 of the Revised Code, or
section 9.03 of the combined plan
document that does not include a partial lump sum option payment may make a
one-time election to receive a partial lump sum option payment, or the member
or contributor may make a one-time change to their plan of payment, at any time
prior to issuance of the finalized retirement benefit payment.
(2) A beneficiary applying for a benefit
under division (A)(2) of section
145.45 of the Revised Code, or a
member or contributor applying for a monthly benefit under section
145.32,
145.33,
145.331,
145.332,
145.37,
145.46, or
145.64 of the Revised Code, or
section 9.03 of the combined plan
document that includes a partial lump sum option payment may make a one-time
change to their partial lump sum option payment amount, or the member or
contributor may make a one-time change to their plan of payment, at any time
prior to issuance of the partial lump sum option payment or transfer of the
partial lump sum option payment by the retirement system to their financial
institution.
(3) A member or
contributor is ineligible to name a different beneficiary under a plan of
payment selected by the member or contributor unless the member or contributor
reselects or elects a different plan of payment under this rule. The spouse of
a member or contributor who reselects or elects a different plan of payment
shall consent on a form provided by the retirement system to the new plan of
payment selected by the retirant.