60W-4.002. Statements of Policy

(1) All benefits provided under this chapter shall be payable only upon termination of employment with the Institute and proper application to the Division.

(2) It shall be the responsibility of the participant or his or her surviving joint annuitant to make proper application for supplemental benefits to the Division through the Institute on Form IF-11, effective 08/16, http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-07332, Florida Retirement System Application for Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) Supplemental Retirement, herein adopted by reference, which may be obtained by calling the Division of Retirement toll free at [phone], if calling from outside the Tallahassee calling area or locally at [phone], or if hearing or speech impaired by calling the Division via T.D.D. at the Florida Relay System by dialing 711 or [phone]. Such application shall give notice of the date on which he or she will be eligible to begin receiving a supplemental benefit as provided in subsection 60W-4.002(4), F.A.C. The Institute shall forward to the Division the participant’s application and other required documents when completed but no earlier than 6 months prior to the date the participant or joint annuitant becomes eligible to receive a supplemental benefit.

(3) The supplemental benefit shall be based only on service by a participant as a Florida Cooperative Extension Service employee of the Institute after December 1, 1970.

(4) The supplemental benefit shall commence on the later of:

(a) July 1, 1985, or

(b) The first day of the month following termination of employment with the Institute, for the purpose of retiring from the federal Civil Service Retirement System, or

(c) The first day of the month in which the participant attains age 62.

(d) If the participant or his or her surviving joint annuitant fails to make application for the supplemental benefit within 30 calendar days of becoming eligible for the supplement, the supplemental benefit shall commence on the first day of the month following receipt of the application by the Division of Retirement.

(5) Proper application for benefits provided under this chapter shall include proof of age for the participant and for the joint annuitant. Once the birthdate of the participant and joint annuitant has been verified and the supplemental benefit commences, evidence of a different birthdate will not be accepted. Proof of age shall be established with one of the following types of evidence (except as provided in (i)).

(a) Copy of a birth certificate;

(b) Delayed birth certificate;

(c) Valid, unexpired U.S. passport;

(d) Census report more than 30 years old,

(e) Life insurance policy more than 30 years old;

(f) Certificate of Naturalization;

(g) Letter from the Social Security Administration stating the date of birth it has established for the payment of benefits;

(h) Florida driver license issued after January 1, 2010, that indicates compliance with the federal REAL ID Act.

(i) In the absence of the above, a document from two of the following categories will be required:

1. Birth certificate of child, showing age of parent,

2. Baptismal certificate,

3. Hospital record of birth,

4. School record at time of entering grammar school.

(j) Other evidence as deemed necessary by the Division, in the event the above documents cannot be obtained or establish conflicting birth dates.

(6) A copy of the marriage license if the spouse is named as beneficiary and the member selects option 3 or 4 as provided in Rule 60S-4.010, F.A.C., is required as part of a proper application for benefits under this section.

(7) Benefits shall begin to accrue on the effective date of retirement and shall be payable in monthly installments on the last regular work day of each month.

(8) A participant shall not be entitled to receive the following:

(a) Disability benefits if he or she becomes totally and permanently disabled; or

(b) In-line-of-duty death benefits; or

(c) Early retirement benefits if he or she retires from the Institute and the federal Civil Service Retirement System prior to attaining age 62 as provided by subsection 60W-4.003(2), F.A.C. Such a participant shall become eligible to receive a supplemental benefit upon attaining age 62 as provided in subsection 60W-4.006(3), F.A.C.

(9) Immediately upon reducing, suspending or terminating a benefit or, if possible, prior to taking such action, the Division may give notice in writing to each person known by the Division to be substantially affected by the action. The notice shall:

(a) State the nature of the action and the reason for it.

(b) State that a person who does not agree with the action may, within 21 days of receipt of the notice, request a hearing on the decision by filing a petition prepared in accordance with Rule 28-106.201, F.A.C.

(c) State that a person who does not file a petition within 21 days of receipt of the notice shall have waived his or her right to request a hearing on the decision.

(d) Contain a reference to this rule and enclose a copy of Rule 28-106.201, F.A.C.

(10) Benefits under the Institute’s Supplemental Benefit Program are subject to the same forfeiture provisions applicable to regular members of the Florida Retirement System as provided in Sections 121.091(5)(f)-(k), F.S.

Rulemaking Authority 121.40(13) FS. Law Implemented 112.3173, 121.40 FS. History–New 2-4-86, Amended 9-5-90, Formerly 22Q-4.002, Amended 8-4-94, 3-31-13, 10-23-16.