(A) An alternate payee is responsible for maintaining a current residence address on file with the retirement system. The retirement system has no duty to locate any alternate payee other than by sending written notice to the last known address on file with the system.

(B) If the retirement system cannot locate an alternate payee when a benefit becomes payable, the retirement system shall hold the amount payable to the alternate payee and make payment without interest to the alternate payee if the payee is located within the following one hundred eighty days. If the alternate payee is not located within one hundred eighty days from the date the benefit became payable, the retirement system shall pay the amount held to the person who would have received the payment but for the qualified domestic relations order. If the alternate payee is subsequently located, the retirement system shall pay subsequent benefits in accordance with the qualified domestic relations order but the alternate payee’s interest in any amount already paid is extinguished.

Terms Used In South Carolina Code 9-18-60

  • Alternate payee: means a spouse or former spouse of a member or retired member who is recognized by a domestic relations order as having a right to receive all or a portion of the benefits payable by a retirement system with respect to such member or retired member. See South Carolina Code 9-18-10
  • Domestic relations order: means any judgement, decree, or order, including approval of a property settlement agreement, which relates to the provision of alimony payments or marital property rights to a spouse or former spouse of a member or retired member, and is made pursuant to a domestic relations law, including a law of this State or of another state. See South Carolina Code 9-18-10
  • Qualified domestic relations order: means a domestic relations order which creates or recognizes the existence of an alternate payee's right, or assigns to an alternate payee the right, to receive all or a portion of a benefit payable with respect to a member or retired member under a retirement system, which directs that retirement system to disburse benefits to the alternate payee, and which meets the requirements of this chapter. See South Carolina Code 9-18-10
  • system: means the South Carolina Retirement System, Retirement System for Judges and Solicitors of the State of South Carolina, Retirement System for Members of the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina, or South Carolina Police Officers Retirement System. See South Carolina Code 9-18-10
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