(a) The annuities, pensions, refunds, and disability benefits granted under this Article shall be exempt from attachment or garnishment process and shall not be seized, taken, subjected to, detained, or levied upon by virtue of any judgment, or any process or proceeding whatsoever issued out of or by any court in this State, for the payment and satisfaction in whole or in part of any debt, damage, claim, demand, or judgment against any annuitant, pensioner, person entitled to a refund, or other beneficiary hereunder.
     (b) No annuitant, pensioner, person entitled to a refund, or other beneficiary shall have any right to transfer or assign his annuity or disability benefit or any part thereof by way of mortgage or otherwise except that an annuitant or a widow annuitant who elects to participate in any group hospitalization plan or group medical surgical plan shall have the right to authorize the Board to deduct the cost to him of such plan from the annuity check and to pay such deducted amount to the group insurance carrier, provided, however, that the Board in its discretion may terminate such right; provided, that the board in its discretion may pay to the wife of any annuitant, pensioner, refund applicant, or disability beneficiary such an amount out of her husband’s annuity, pension, refund, or disability benefit as any court may order, or such an amount as the board may consider necessary for the support of his wife or children or both in the event of his disappearance or unexplained absence or his failure to support such wife or children.

Terms Used In Illinois Compiled Statutes 40 ILCS 5/9-228

  • Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
  • Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
  • Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
  • Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
  • Garnishment: Generally, garnishment is a court proceeding in which a creditor asks a court to order a third party who owes money to the debtor or otherwise holds assets belonging to the debtor to turn over to the creditor any of the debtor
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
  • Person under legal disability: means a person 18 years or older who (a) because of mental deterioration or physical incapacity is not fully able to manage his or her person or estate, or (b) is a person with mental illness or is a person with developmental disabilities and who because of his or her mental illness or developmental disability is not fully able to manage his or her person or estate, or (c) because of gambling, idleness, debauchery or excessive use of intoxicants or drugs, so spends or wastes his or her estate as to expose himself or herself or his or her family to want or suffering. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.06
  • State: when applied to different parts of the United States, may be construed to include the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" may be construed to include the said district and territories. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.14

     (c) The board may retain out of any future annuity, pension, refund or disability benefit payments, such amount, or amounts, as it may require for the repayment of any moneys paid to any annuitant, pensioner, refund applicant, or disability beneficiary through misrepresentation, fraud or error. Any such action of the board shall relieve and release the board and the fund from any liability for any moneys so withheld.
     (d) Whenever an annuity, pension, refund, or disability benefit is payable to a minor or to a person adjudged to be under legal disability, the board, in its discretion and when to the best interest of the person concerned, may waive guardianship proceedings and pay the annuity, pension, refund or benefit to the person providing or caring for the minor and to the wife, parent or blood relative providing or caring for the person.
     In the event that a person certified by a medical doctor to be under legal disability (i) has no spouse, blood relative, or other person providing or caring for him or her, (ii) has no guardian of his or her estate, and (iii) is confined to a Medicare-certified, State-licensed nursing home or to a publicly owned and operated nursing home, hospital, or mental institution, the Board may pay any benefit due that person to the nursing home, hospital, or mental institution, to be used for the sole benefit of the person under legal disability.
     Payment in accordance with this subsection to a person, nursing home, hospital, or mental institution for the benefit of a minor or person under legal disability shall be an absolute discharge of the Fund’s liability with respect to the amount so paid. Any person, nursing home, hospital, or mental institution accepting payment under this subsection shall notify the Fund of the death or any other relevant change in the status of the minor or person under legal disability.
     (e) An annuitant may authorize the withholding of a portion of his annuity for payment of dues to any labor organization designated by the annuitant; however, no portion of annuities may be withheld pursuant to this subsection for payment to any one labor organization unless a minimum of 100 annuitants authorize such withholding, except that the Board may allow such withholding for less than 100 annuitants during a probationary period of between 3 and 6 months, as determined by the Board. The Board shall prescribe a form for the authorization of such withholding, and shall provide such forms to employees, annuitants and labor organizations upon request. Amounts withheld by the Board under this subsection shall be promptly paid over to the designated organizations.
     Any such labor organization shall have access to the Fund’s mailing list of annuitants, upon such terms as the Board may approve. The expenses of any mailing conducted by the labor organization shall be borne by the labor organization.