§ 4-114 — Pension to survivors

If a firefighter who is not receiving a disability pension under Section 4-110 or 4-110.1 dies (1) as a result of any illness or accident, or (2) from any cause while in receipt of a disability pension under this Article, or (3) during retirement after 20 years service, or (4) while vested for or in receipt of a pension payable under subsection (b) of Section 4-109, or (5) while a deferred pensioner, having made all required contributions, a pension shall be paid to his or her survivors, based on the monthly salary attached to the firefighter's rank on the last day of service in the fire department, as follows: (a)(1) To the surviving spouse, a monthly pension of 40% of the monthly salary, and if there is a surviving spouse, to the guardian of any minor child or children including a child which has been conceived but not yet born, 12% of such monthly salary for each such child until attainment of age 18 or until the child's marriage, whichever occurs first. Beginning July 1, 1993, the monthly pension to the surviving spouse shall be 54% of the monthly salary for all persons receiving a surviving spouse pension under this Article, regardless of whether the deceased firefighter was in service on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1993. (2) Beginning July 1, 2004, unless the amount provided under paragraph (1) of this subsection (a) is greater, the total monthly pension payable under this paragraph (a), including any amount payable on account of children, to the surviving spouse of a firefighter who died (i) while receiving a retirement pension, (ii) while he or she was a deferred pensioner with at least 20 years of creditable service, or (iii) while he or she was in active service having at least 20 years of creditable service, regardless of age, shall be no less than 100% of the monthly retirement pension earned by the deceased firefighter at the time of death, regardless of whether death occurs before or after attainment of age 50, including any increases under Section 4-109.1. This minimum applies to all such surviving spouses who are eligible to receive a surviving spouse pension, regardless of whether the deceased firefighter was in service on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly, and notwithstanding any limitation on maximum pension under paragraph (d) or any other provision of this Article. (3) If the pension paid on and after July 1, 2004 to the surviving spouse of a firefighter who died on or after July 1, 2004 and before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly was less than the minimum pension payable under paragraph (1) or (2) of this subsection (a), the fund shall pay a lump sum equal to the difference within 90 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly. The pension to the surviving spouse shall terminate in the event of the surviving spouse's remarriage prior to July 1, 1993; remarriage on or after that date does not affect the surviving spouse's pension, regardless of whether the deceased firefighter was in service on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1993. The surviving spouse's pension shall be subject to the minimum established in Section 4-109.2. (b) Upon the death of the surviving spouse leaving one or more minor children, or upon the death of a firefighter leaving one or more minor children but no surviving spouse, to the duly appointed guardian of each such child, for support and maintenance of each such child until the child reaches age 18 or marries, whichever occurs first, a monthly pension of 20% of the monthly salary. In a case where the deceased firefighter left one or more minor children but no surviving spouse and the guardian of a child is receiving a pension of 12% of the monthly salary on August 16, 2013 (the effective date of Public Act 98-391), the pension is increased by Public Act 98-391 to 20% of the monthly salary for each such child, beginning on the pension payment date occurring on or next following August 16, 2013. The changes to this Section made by Public Act 98-391 apply without regard to whether the deceased firefighter was in service on or after August 16, 2013. (c) If a deceased firefighter leaves no surviving spouse or unmarried minor children under age 18, but leaves a dependent father or mother, to each dependent parent a monthly pension of 18% of the monthly salary. To qualify for the pension, a dependent parent must furnish satisfactory proof that the deceased firefighter was at the time of his or her death the sole supporter of the parent or that the parent was the deceased's dependent for federal income tax purposes. (d) The total pension provided under paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this Section shall not exceed 75% of the monthly salary of the deceased firefighter (1) when paid to the survivor of a firefighter who has attained 20 or more years of service credit and who receives or is eligible to receive a retirement pension under this Article, or (2) when paid to the survivor of a firefighter who dies as a result of illness or accident, or (3) when paid to the survivor of a firefighter who dies from any cause while in receipt of a disability pension under this Article, or (4) when paid to the survivor of a deferred pensioner. For all other survivors of deceased firefighters, the total pension provided under paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this Section shall not exceed 50% of the retirement annuity the firefighter would have received on the date of death. The maximum pension limitations in this paragraph (d) do not control over any contrary provision of this Article explicitly establishing a minimum amount of pension or granting a one-time or annual increase in pension. (e) If a firefighter leaves no eligible survivors under paragraphs (a), (b) and (c), the board shall refund to the firefighter's estate the amount of his or her accumulated contributions, less the amount of pension payments, if any, made to the firefighter while living. (f) (Blank). (g) If a judgment of dissolution of marriage between a firefighter and spouse is judicially set aside subsequent to the firefighter's death, the surviving spouse is eligible for the pension provided in paragraph (a) only if the judicial proceedings are filed within 2 years after the date of the dissolution of marriage and within one year after the firefighter's death and the board is made a party to the proceedings. In such case the pension shall be payable only from the date of the court's order setting aside the judgment of dissolution of marriage. (h) Benefits payable on account of a child under this Section shall not be reduced or terminated by reason of the child's attainment of age 18 if he or she is then dependent by reason of a physical or mental disability but shall continue to be paid as long as such dependency continues. Individuals over the age of 18 and adjudged as a disabled person pursuant to Article XIa of the Probate Act of 1975, except for persons receiving benefits under Article III of the Illinois Public Aid Code, shall be eligible to receive benefits under this Act. (i) Beginning January 1, 2000, the pension of the surviving spouse of a firefighter who dies on or after January 1, 1994 as a result of sickness, accident, or injury incurred in or resulting from the performance of an act of duty or from the cumulative effects of acts of duty shall not be less than 100% of the salary attached to the rank held by the deceased firefighter on the last day of service, notwithstanding subsection (d) or any other provision of this Article. (j) Beginning July 1, 2004, the pension of the surviving spouse of a firefighter who dies on or after January 1, 1988 as a result of sickness, accident, or injury incurred in or resulting from the performance of an act of duty or from the cumulative effects of acts of duty shall not be less than 100% of the salary attached to the rank held by the deceased firefighter on the last day of service, notwithstanding subsection (d) or any other provision of this Article. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, if a person who first becomes a firefighter under this Article on or after January 1, 2011 and who is not receiving a disability pension under Section 4-110 or 4-110.1 dies (1) as a result of any illness or accident, (2) from any cause while in receipt of a disability pension under this Article, (3) during retirement after 20 years service, (4) while vested for or in receipt of a pension payable under subsection (b) of Section 4-109, or (5) while a deferred pensioner, having made all required contributions, then a pension shall be paid to his or her survivors in an amount equal to the greater of (i) 54% of the firefighter's monthly salary at the date of death, or (ii) 66 2/3% of the firefighter's earned pension at the date of death, and, if there is a surviving spouse, 12% of such monthly salary shall be granted to the guardian of any minor child or children, including a child who has been conceived but not yet born, for each such child until attainment of age 18. Upon the death of the surviving spouse leaving one or more minor children, or upon the death of a firefighter leaving one or more minor children but no surviving spouse, a monthly pension of 20% of the monthly salary shall be granted to the duly appointed guardian of each such child for the support and maintenance of each such child until the child reaches age 18. The total pension provided under this paragraph shall not exceed 75% of the monthly salary of the deceased firefighter (1) when paid to the survivor of a firefighter who has attained 20 or more years of service credit and who receives or is eligible to receive a retirement pension under this Article, (2) when paid to the survivor of a firefighter who dies as a result of illness or accident, (3) when paid to the survivor of a firefighter who dies from any cause while in receipt of a disability pension under this Article, or (4) when paid to the survivor of a deferred pensioner. Nothing in this Section shall act to diminish the survivor's benefits described in subsection (j) of this Section. Notwithstanding Section 1-103.1, the changes made to this subsection apply without regard to whether the deceased firefighter was in service on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, the monthly pension of a survivor of a person who first becomes a firefighter under this Article on or after January 1, 2011 shall be increased on the January 1 after attainment of age 60 by the recipient of the survivor's pension and each January 1 thereafter by 3% or one-half the annual unadjusted percentage increase in the consumer price index-u for the 12 months ending with the September preceding each November 1, whichever is less, of the originally granted survivor's pension. If the annual unadjusted percentage change in the consumer price index-u for a 12-month period ending in September is zero or, when compared with the preceding period, decreases, then the survivor's pension shall not be increased. For the purposes of this Section, "consumer price index-u" means the index published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor that measures the average change in prices of goods and services purchased by all urban consumers, United States city average, all items, 1982-84 = 100. The new amount resulting from each annual adjustment shall be determined by the Public Pension Division of the Department of Insurance and made available to the boards of the pension funds.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 101-610, eff. 1-1-20.)