(a) On January 1, 1982, and January first of each subsequent year until January 1, 2011, each surviving spouse of a deceased judge, a family support magistrate or an administrative law judge who first commenced service as a judge, a family support magistrate or an administrative law judge on or after January 1, 1981, receiving an allowance under the provisions of § 51-51, shall be entitled to an additional cost of living allowance equal to the percentage which reflects the increase, if any, in the National Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers for the previous twelve-month period, provided such cost of living increase shall not exceed three per cent. Such cost of living allowance shall be computed on the basis of the combined retirement allowance and cost of living allowance, if any, to which such surviving spouse was entitled as of the December thirty-first immediately preceding.

(b) On January 1, 2012, and January first of each subsequent year, each surviving spouse of a deceased judge, a family support magistrate or an administrative law judge who first commenced service as a judge, a family support magistrate or an administrative law judge on or after January 1, 1981, receiving an allowance under the provisions of § 51-51, shall be entitled to an additional cost of living allowance equivalent to the cost of living allowance applied to the retirement salary of members of the state employees retirement system who retired on or after October 2, 2011, for the same period.