Section 1700.30  Filing of Claims

a)         Superannuation Retirement.  Any participant claiming an annuity from the System, for superannuation retirement, shall file an application therefor in the form prescribed by the Board of Trustees.  This application, together with the Membership Record showing age, service and salary data, a verified report on all creditable service claimed by the applicant, and such other information as may have been compiled by the System during the membership of the participant, shall constitute the complete record on the applicant, forming the basis for the allowance of the annuity.  No such annuity shall be allowed in any case in which the applicant shall be indebted to the System for contributions required to be made by him as provided in the Act and under the Rules and Regulations of the Board, and any action on any such application, and the commencement of annuity payments shall be deferred until such indebtedness shall have been fully discharged.

b)         Disability Retirement.  The same requirements as prescribed for superannuation retirement shall apply to and govern an application for a disability retirement annuity.  In addition, every applicant for disability retirement shall file with the Secretary proof of his claim, on forms prescribed by the Board.  The application of the participant shall also show the nature and extent of the disability, and the name and names and addresses of attending physicians.  Such application shall be accompanied by a report or reports of the attending physicians showing, among other things, the date and place of the first examination, the cause and nature of disability, information regarding surgical work or laboratory tests, and a prognosis of the disability.  An applicant shall be examined by a physician or physicians designated by the Board, as promptly as possible following the filing of an application, to determine if the applicant is totally and permanently disabled to render service as a member.  Medical examinations shall be made thereafter, at least once each year, during the continuance of disability prior to age 60, by one or more licensed physicians designated by the Board.  No further examinations shall be made after the retirant has attained the age of 60 years.

c)         Refunds.  Any participant eligible to receive a refund of his contributions shall, if he so elects, make a written request therefor upon a form prescribed by the Board.  A request for a refund shall not be considered valid unless the participant has ceased to be a member.

d)         Death Benefits.  A participant may designate a beneficiary to receive this death benefit, consisting of all contributions made by the participant, provided no widow's annuity is payable.  If no special designation is made, the widow of the participant, if one survives who is not eligible for a widow's annuity, shall receive such benefit, but if there be no such widow surviving, the contributions shall be paid to the estate of the participant.  Any person claiming a benefit on account of the death of a participant shall file with the Board a written application for such benefit, on a form prescribed by the Board.  In all such cases, the application shall be accompanied by a certified copy of the Death Certificate or other public record of such death, or a physician's certificate.  Where an inquest is held, the Board shall be furnished with a certified copy of the record of such inquest.  Any person or persons applying for a death benefit shall, when requested by the Board, furnish such proof of identification as the Board may direct.