2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 24 - GOVERNMENT - STATE (§§ 24-1-101 — 24-116-102) › PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEMS (§§ 24-51-101 — 24-54.8-204) › Article 51 - Public Employees' Retirement Association (§§ 24-51-101 — 24-51-1748) › Part 9 - SURVIVOR BENEFITS (§§ 24-51-901 — 24-51-914) › Section 24-51-911 - Commencement of survivor benefits or single payment

(1)
When a single payment is payable pursuant to the provisions of this part 9, said payment shall be made when the full amount of moneys credited to the member contribution account of the member, the full amount of matching employer contributions, and the person to receive the benefit have been determined.
(2)
Survivor benefits shall become payable to qualified children either at the time of the death of the member or within six months after the death of the member if the children attain eligibility by enrolling in school full time.
(3)
Survivor benefits pursuant to option 3 paid to a spouse specified in section
24-51-906 (1)(b)
shall become payable immediately upon the death of the member. Survivor benefits pursuant to option 3 paid to a spouse specified in section
24-51-905 (2)(a)
shall become payable when the deceased inactive member would have become eligible for reduced service retirement.
(4)
Survivor benefits pursuant to option 3 paid to a spouse specified in section
24-51-905 (1)(b)
shall become payable immediately if the death of the member occurred on or after July 1, 1979. If the death of the member occurred prior to July 1, 1979, the option 3 benefits shall become payable on and after July 1, 1985, upon satisfaction of the following conditions:
(a)
If surviving spouse's benefits are not being received pursuant to the provisions of section
24-51-909
and the spouse has not elected to receive a single payment, such spouse may elect to receive an option 3 benefit, defined in section
24-51-910
, immediately upon such election or when benefits for the children cease, whichever is later. Such election shall be irrevocable.
(b)
If surviving spouse's benefits are not being paid pursuant to the provisions of section
24-51-909
and the spouse elected to receive a single payment, such spouse may elect to receive an option 3 benefit, defined in section
24-51-910
, which shall become payable upon payment to the association of an amount equal to the single payment plus interest. Such payment may be made in a lump sum or through temporary waiver of survivor benefits. Benefits so waived pursuant to this paragraph (b) shall be used for monthly installment payments until the total payment is completed, and the temporary benefit waiver shall terminate upon completion of said payment.
(5)
Except as otherwise provided in subsection (6) of this section, surviving spouse's benefits paid pursuant to the provisions of section
24-51-909
shall become payable upon reaching sixty years of age, or on December 31 of the calendar year in which the deceased member would have reached seventy and one-half years of age, whichever occurs earlier.
(6)
Surviving spouse's benefits defined in section
24-51-909
which are payable to a spouse found by the board to be mentally or physically incapacitated from gainful employment shall become payable on the day of the death of the deceased member without regard to the age of such spouse.
(7)
Survivor benefits shall become payable to dependent parents immediately upon the death of the member.
(8)
If at the time of the death of the member there is a supplemental needs trust established before or within ninety days after the death of the member for the benefit of the qualified child eligible for survivor benefits, survivor benefits payable pursuant to this part 9 to the beneficiary of the supplemental needs trust are payable to the trust.
L. 87: Entire article R&RE, p. 1069, § 1, effective July 1. L. 88: (3) and (5) amended, pp. 962, 963, §§ 17, 18, effective July 1. L. 90: (5) amended, p. 1252, § 4, effective July 1. L. 95: (1) amended, p. 556, § 12, effective July 1. L. 2015: (8) added, (SB 15-097), ch. 111, p. 327, § 5, effective April 16.
This section is similar to former §§ 24-51-125, 24-51-612, 24-51-804, and 24-51-806 as they existed prior to 1987.
For the legislative declaration in SB 15-097, see section 1 of chapter 111, Session Laws of Colorado 2015.