RCW 41.50.130
Correction of retirement systems' records—Adjustment in payment of benefits—Limitations.
(1) The director may at any time correct errors appearing in the records of the retirement systems listed in RCW 41.50.030. Should any error in such records result in any member, beneficiary, or other person or entity receiving more or less than he or she would have been entitled to had the records been correct, the director, subject to the conditions set forth in this section, shall adjust the payment in such a manner that the benefit to which such member, beneficiary, or other person or entity was correctly entitled shall be paid in accordance with the following:
(a) In the case of underpayments to a member or beneficiary, the retirement system shall correct all future payments from the point of error detection, and shall compute the additional payment due for the allowable prior period which shall be paid in a lump sum by the appropriate retirement system.
(b) In the case of overpayments to a retiree or other beneficiary, the retirement system shall adjust the payment so that the retiree or beneficiary receives the benefit to which he or she is correctly entitled. The retiree or beneficiary shall either repay the overpayment in a lump sum within ninety days of notification or, if he or she is entitled to a continuing benefit, elect to have that benefit actuarially reduced by an amount equal to the overpayment. The retiree or beneficiary is not responsible for repaying the overpayment if the employer is liable under RCW 41.50.139.
(c) In the case of overpayments to a person or entity other than a member or beneficiary, the overpayment shall constitute a debt from the person or entity to the department, recovery of which shall not be barred by laches or statute of limitations.
(2) Except in the case of actual fraud, in the case of overpayments to a member or beneficiary, the benefits shall be adjusted to reflect only the amount of overpayments made within three years of discovery of the error, notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in chapter 4.16 RCW.
(3) Except in the case of actual fraud, no monthly benefit shall be reduced by more than fifty percent of the member's or beneficiary's corrected benefit. Any overpayment not recovered due to the inability to actuarially reduce a member's benefit due to: (a) The provisions of this subsection; or (b) the fact that the retiree's monthly retirement allowance is less than the monthly payment required to effectuate an actuarial reduction, shall constitute a claim against the estate of a member, beneficiary, or other person or entity in receipt of an overpayment.
(4) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, obligations of employers or members until paid to the department shall constitute a debt from the employer or member to the department, recovery of which shall not be barred by laches or statutes of limitation.
[ 1997 c 254 § 15; 1994 c 177 § 3; 1987 c 490 § 1; 1982 c 13 § 1.]
NOTES:
Intent—Construction—Application—1997 c 254: See notes following RCW 41.26.490.
Findings—1994 c 177: See note following RCW 41.50.125.
Structure Revised Code of Washington
Title 41 - Public Employment, Civil Service, and Pensions
Chapter 41.50 - Department of Retirement Systems.
41.50.005 - Policy and intent.
41.50.020 - Department of retirement systems—Created—Director.
41.50.033 - Crediting interest to retirement system accounts.
41.50.040 - Manner of selection and terms of transferred board members not affected.
41.50.050 - Powers, duties, and functions of director.
41.50.060 - Delegation of powers, duties, and functions—Director's responsibilities.
41.50.065 - Accumulated service credit—Annual notification to members.
41.50.075 - Funds established.
41.50.077 - State treasurer is custodian of funds.
41.50.080 - Investment of funds of various systems.
41.50.085 - Investments in accordance with established standards.
41.50.088 - Duties of director—Retirement investments.
41.50.112 - Report of member data—Department-designed format.
41.50.120 - Payment of moneys due department by employers—Interest.
41.50.125 - Interest on contributions—Department may charge.
41.50.130 - Correction of retirement systems' records—Adjustment in payment of benefits—Limitations.
41.50.131 - Correction of errors in reporting compensation earnable.
41.50.132 - Correction of erroneous deduction or pickup of contributions.
41.50.135 - Collection of overpayments—Determination of liability—Administrative process created.
41.50.136 - Collection of overpayments—Issuance of warrant—Lien.
41.50.137 - Collection of overpayments—Department may issue subpoenas.
41.50.138 - Collection of overpayments—Waiver of overpayment.
41.50.139 - Retirement status reports—Overpayments—Employer obligations.
41.50.145 - Plan 3—Loss of investment return due to error—Liability.
41.50.152 - Payment of excess compensation—Public notice requirements.
41.50.155 - Erroneous withdrawals of contributions—Restoration.
41.50.160 - Restoration of withdrawn contributions.
41.50.165 - Establishing, restoring service credit—Conditions.
41.50.170 - Notification of restoration rights.
41.50.175 - Adoption of rules.
41.50.180 - Inactive accounts—Identification, closing, and refund.
41.50.200 - Subdivision of retirement system funds.
41.50.205 - Records—Teachers' retirement system annual report.
41.50.215 - Teachers' retirement system funds—Annual interest to be credited.
41.50.220 - Trustees, employees not to guarantee loans.
41.50.230 - Employer reports to department.
41.50.235 - Teachers' retirement system salary deductions.
41.50.240 - Duties of payroll officer.
41.50.255 - Payment of legal and medical expenses of retirement systems.
41.50.260 - Public employees' retirement system funds created.
41.50.270 - Transmittal of total of public employees' retirement system members' deductions.
41.50.290 - Shared work programs—Effect of employer's participation.
41.50.500 - Mandatory assignment of retirement benefits—Definitions.
41.50.510 - Mandatory assignment of retirement benefits—Remedies—Applicability.
41.50.520 - Mandatory assignment of retirement benefits—Other remedies not limited.
41.50.540 - Mandatory assignment of retirement benefits—Notice to obligor.
41.50.560 - Mandatory assignment of retirement benefits—Petition for order.
41.50.570 - Mandatory assignment of retirement benefits—Issuance of order.
41.50.580 - Mandatory assignment of retirement benefits—Order—Contents.
41.50.590 - Mandatory assignment of retirement benefits—Order—Form.
41.50.600 - Mandatory assignment of retirement benefits—Duties of department.
41.50.610 - Mandatory assignment of retirement benefits—Order—Answer—Form.
41.50.620 - Mandatory assignment of retirement benefits—Order—Service.
41.50.640 - Mandatory assignment of retirement benefits—Award of costs to prevailing party.
41.50.650 - Payments pursuant to court orders entered under prior law.
41.50.660 - Mandatory assignment of retirement benefits—Rules.
41.50.670 - Property division obligations—Direct payments pursuant to court order.
41.50.680 - Property division obligations—Processing fee.
41.50.720 - Payment of benefits—Restraining orders.
41.50.730 - Retirement or termination agreement payments—Effect on pension benefits calculation.
41.50.740 - Retirement or termination agreement payments—Opportunity to change payment options.
41.50.750 - Retirement or termination agreement payments—Overpayments not required to be repaid.
41.50.760 - Cost-of-living adjustments—Alternative calculation—Election.
41.50.770 - Deferred compensation plans.
41.50.790 - Survivor benefits—Dissolution orders.
41.50.800 - Apportionment of budgeted funds of affected agencies.
41.50.801 - Continuation of rules, pending business, contracts, investments, etc.
41.50.802 - Transfer of reports, documents, etc., property, funds, assets, appropriations, etc.
41.50.810 - Blind mailings to retirees—Restrictions.
41.50.901 - Effective date—1987 c 326.
41.50.902 - Construction—Chapter applicable to state registered domestic partnerships—2009 c 521.