§ 8-161 — Ordinary disability benefit

An employee while under age 65 and prior to January 1, 1979, or while under age 70 and after January 1, 1979, who becomes disabled after the effective date as the result of any cause other than injury incurred in the performance of duty, shall be entitled to ordinary disability benefit during such disability, after the first 30 days thereof. The first payment shall be made not later than one month after the benefit is granted and each subsequent payment shall be made not later than one month after the last preceding payment. The disability benefit prescribed herein shall cease when the first of the following dates shall occur and the employee, if still disabled, shall thereafter be entitled to such annuity as is otherwise provided in this Article: (a) the date disability ceases. (b) the date the disabled employee attains age 65 for disability commencing prior to January 1, 1979. (c) the date the disabled employee attains age 65 for disability commencing prior to attainment of age 60 in the service and after January 1, 1979. (d) the date the disabled employee attains the age of 70 for disability commencing after attainment of age 60 in the service and after January 1, 1979. (e) the date the payments of the benefit shall exceed in the aggregate, throughout the employee's service, a period equal to 1/4 of the total service rendered prior to the date of disability but in no event more than 5 years. In computing such total service any period during which the employee received ordinary disability benefit shall be excluded. Any employee whose ordinary disability benefit was terminated after January 1, 1979 by reason of his attainment of age 65 and who continues disabled after age 65 may elect before July 1, 1986 to have such benefits resumed beginning at the time of such termination and continuing until termination is required under this Section as amended by this amendatory Act of 1985. The amount payable to any employee for such resumed benefit for any period shall be reduced by the amount of any retirement annuity paid to such employee under this Article for the same period of time or by any refund paid in lieu of annuity. Ordinary disability benefit shall be 50% of the employee's salary at the date of disability. For ordinary disability benefits paid before January 1, 2001, before any payment, an amount equal to the sum ordinarily deducted from salary for all annuity purposes for such period for which the ordinary disability benefit is made shall be deducted from such payment and credited to the employee as a deduction from salary for that period. The sums so deducted shall be regarded, for annuity and refund purposes, as an amount contributed by him. For ordinary disability benefits paid on or after January 1, 2001, the fund shall credit sums equal to the amounts ordinarily contributed by an employee for annuity purposes for any period during which the employee receives ordinary disability, and those sums shall be deemed for annuity purposes and purposes of Section 8-173 as amounts contributed by the employee. These amounts credited for annuity purposes shall not be credited for refund purposes. If a participating employee is eligible for a disability benefit under the federal Social Security Act, the amount of ordinary disability benefit under this Section attributable to employment with the Chicago Housing Authority or the Public Building Commission of the city shall be reduced, but not to less than $10 per month, by the amount that the employee would be eligible to receive as a disability benefit under the federal Social Security Act, whether or not that federal benefit is based on service as a covered employee under this Article. The reduction shall be effective as of the month the employee is eligible for the social security disability benefit. The Board may make this reduction pending determination of eligibility for the social security disability benefit, if it appears to the Board that the employee may be eligible, and make an appropriate adjustment if necessary after eligibility for the social security disability benefit is determined. If the employee's social security disability benefit is reduced or terminated because of a refusal to accept rehabilitation services under the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the federal Social Security Act or because the employee is receiving a workers' compensation benefit, the ordinary disability benefit under this Section shall be reduced as if the employee were receiving the full social security disability benefit. The amount of ordinary disability benefit shall not be reduced by reason of any increase in the amount of social security disability benefit that takes effect after the month of the initial reduction under this Section, other than an increase resulting from a correction in the employee's wage records.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 92-599, eff. 6-28-02.)