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Benefits

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Disability Coverage

 

Employees under age 65 who become totally and permanently disabled, either mentally or physically, are entitled to a disability retirement annuity; provided, that he is not receiving disability payments from the United States Government for substantially the same ailment. To be eligible for a disability retirement annuity from a non-occupational cause, the employee shall have had at least six (6) years of actual service as a member of the Government of Guam Retirement Fund prior to application, or five (5) years of actual service as a member of the Government of Guam Retirement Fund prior to application if the member has been medically certified to be terminally ill.

A member shall not qualify for a disability retirement annuity if the member's disability arises from an impairment occurring prior to the member's employment by the Government of Guam.

 

Amount of Disability Retirement Benefits

 

  1. The amount of basic disability retirement annuity shall be sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66 2/3%) based on the average of the three (3) highest annual salaries received by a member during that member's years of credited service.

  2. The disability annuity shall be reduced by any amounts awarded to a member under worker's compensation laws for substantially the same impairment.

  3. The Board may revoke any and all disability retirement annuity benefit(s) if a member fails to report a worker's compensation award for substantially the same impairment.

 

Resumption of Employment

 

  1. Following the allowance of a disability annuity to any member, the Board of Trustees shall require any disability annuitant to undergo two (2) medical examinations during the first seven (7) years under disability retirement and may require additional medical examination at least once in every five (5) year period thereafter, to be made at a place mutually agreed upon, by a physician or physicians engaged by the Board.

  2. The medical examination shall not be required after the member, under the member's applicable retirement plan, reaches regular retirement age or where years of actual service plus actual years on disability equals the amount of years that would qualify the member to retire as a regular retiree, whichever is earlier.

  3. If any examination indicates that the annuitant is no longer physically or mentally incapacitated for service, or that the annuitant is engaged or is able to engage in a gainful occupation, payment of the disability annuity by the Fund shall be discontinued as soon as the disability annuitant is reemployed, or for no more than sixty (60) days after physicians and a medical consultant engaged by the Board find the annuitant is no longer incapacitated for service.

  4. Should the annuitant become able to resume a gainful occupation, the annuitant shall notify the Retirement Fund immediately.

  5. Should any disability annuitant refuse to submit to a medical examination, payments by the Retirement Fund shall be discontinued until the withdrawal of such refusal, and should the annuitant's refusal continue for one year, all rights of the member in any disability annuity may be revoked by the Board.

 

Death Benefits

 

Upon death of anon-vested active member or inactive member with less than 20 years of total service, a refund of contributions and interest will be made. If the member is an active employee on the date of death, a $1,000 lump sum death benefit will also be paid. All retirees, active employees, with 3 years or more of service and inactive members with 30 or more years of service are vested for purposes of determining survivor benefits.

Also, a member who dies in the line of duty shall be deemed vested, even if service is less than 3 years. If no spouse or minor children survive the vested member, a refund will be made to his/her beneficiary or estate. If married, the benefits are automatic to the spouse and/r minor children. These include:

 

  1. A $1,000 lump sum death benefit, except to survivors of an inactive member.

  2. A life annuity of 60% of the earned benefit of the member or retiree is payable to a spouse; provided that remarriage occurs at age 40 or over; and

  3. A stipend of $2,880 per year for up to 5 unmarried minor children up to age 18, 24 if a full-time student in an accredited institution, or any age if disabled while still a minor. A maximum of $14,400 in children's benefits is payable per family on account of a member/ retiree.