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All of the benefit information below has been complied by COPS, a support group for police survivors.
Rev.11/98
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
DEATH BENEFITS
To obtain certified copies of registered personal documents, contact the Department of Health, Health Building,
Room 101, 75 Davis Street, Providence, RI 02908, phone (401) 277-2811.
STATE DEATH BENEFITS
No one-time state death benefit currently exists.
STATE PENSION BENEFITS
45-19-4.Annuities to dependents of police officers dying as a result of service and appropriations to nondependent
parents of police officers dying as a result of service.
(a) If an active or retired member of the police force of a city or
town is killed or dies from injuries received while in the
performance of his or her duty as a member, there shall be paid
out of the Policeman's Relief Fund of Rhode Island to the
following dependents of the deceased person, the following
sums of money:
(1) to the widow or widower an annuity not exceeding three
thousand six hundred dollars ($3,600) a year, payable in
such regular installments as may be determined by the
board and continuing as long as he or she remains
unmarried and
(2) beginning at the time of the filing of the petition by the
widow or widower for the annuity, an additional annuity of
twelve hundred dollars ($1,200) a year, payable in such
regular installments as may be determined by the board, for
each child of the deceased person during such time as the
child is under the age of eighteen (18) years, or over the
age and physically or mentally incapacitated from earning;
and,
(3) if there is any child and no widow or widower or the
widow or widower dies later, such sum and such annuity
as would have been payable to the widow or widower had
there been one or had he or she lived, to or for the benefit
of the child or of the children, in equal shares, during the
aforesaid time; and,
(4) if there is any child and the widow or widower remarries,
in lieu of the aforesaid annuity to him or her, an annuity
not exceeding twelve hundred dollars ($1,200) to or for the
benefit of each child during the time aforesaid; and,
(5) if there is no widow or widower and no child the total sum
of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) payable in a lump sum
for the benefit of the father and/or mother of the deceased,
if not dependent upon him or her for support at the time of
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his or her death; and,
(6) if there is no widow or widower and no child the sum of
three thousand six hundred dollars ($3,600) payable in
regular installments by the board of policemen's relief to or
for the benefit of the father or mother of the deceased, if
dependent upon him or her for support at the time of his or
her death; and
(7) beginning at the time of filing of the petition as aforesaid
and continuing so long as the beneficiary is unable to
support himself or herself and does not remarry, an annuity
not exceeding three thousand six hundred dollars ($3,600)
a year, payable in such regular installments as may be
determined by the board. The amount of the annuity shall,
from time to time, be determined within the limits aforesaid
by the board.
(b) For the purpose of this section the words "police officer" shall
mean and include any active or retired member of the state
police or the police of any city or town regularly employed at a
fixed salary or wage.
(c) The provisions of this section shall apply in the case of any
dependent receiving benefits in accordance with the provisions
of this section as it was in effect prior to April 25, 1960.
EDUCATION BENEFITS
Tuition is paid for child(ren) attending any college or university operated by the State of Rhode Island. Child
shall have entered the institution while between the ages of 16 and 21.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Check with your local police department to find out what insurance plan you are eligible to receive health
benefits from.
WORKERS' COMPENSATION
Workers' Compensation coverage is compulsory for employers in Rhode Island.
Benefit is 66 2/3% of employee's wage for surviving spouse only and 80% for spouse with child(ren) with a
maximum weekly benefit of $463 plus $20 for each dependent child. Maximum burial allowance is $5,000.
Spouse loses benefits upon remarriage. Children receive benefits until age 18 or beyond age 18 if disabled,
or until age 23 if full-time students.
To receive workers' compensation benefits the surviving spouse must take the initiative and file a workers'
compensation claim through a workers' compensation attorney to receive any compensation. The
determination as to whether the claim will be paid will be determined by the Workers' Compensation Appeals
Board.
Contact The Workers' Compensation Unit of the State Department of Labor, 610 Manton Avenue, P. O.
Box 3500, Providence, RI 02909-0500, telephone
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(401) 272-0700.
PERSONAL LIFE POLICIES
Descent and Distribution: Subject to rights of the surviving spouse, if any real and personal estate not
disposed of by will descends and is distributed as follows, each class taking to exclusion of subsequent classes:
(1) children and/or descendants of deceased children;
(2) parents equally or all to surviving parent;
(3) brothers and sisters and/or decedents of deceased brothers and
sisters and/or descendants of deceased brothers or sisters;
(4) in equal moieties to more remote paternal and maternal kindred,
each in the following course:
(a) grandparents equally or all to surviving grandparent;
(b) uncles and aunts and/or descendants of deceased
greatuncles or greataunts and/or descendants of deceased
uncles or aunts;
(c) greatgrandparents equally or all to surviving
greatgrandparents;
(d) greatuncles and greataunts and/or descendants of deceased
greatuncles or greataunts. If there be no maternal or
paternal kindred on the one part, the whole goes to the
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other part, and if none on either part, the whole goes to his
or her kindred in like course as if such husband or wife had
survived the intestate and then died entitled to the estate.
Descendants of persons who would have inherited if living take always per stirpes.
Surviving spouse takes life estate in all realty. If any estate, real or personal, is devised or bequeathed to
surviving spouse, such devise or bequest shall bar life estate unless surviving spouse, within six months after date
of first publication of qualifications of fiduciary spouse, files in probate court written statement waiving devise
and bequest and claiming his or her life estate in real estate of decedent. If intestate left no issue, probate court,
on application within six months from date of first publication of notice of qualification of administrator, may
also allow or set off in fee to surviving spouse real estate not exceeding $75,000 in value. Surviving spouse
takes one-half of personalty not bequeathed if decedent left issue otherwise first $50,000 in value and one half
of remainder.
PEER SUPPORT ORGANIZATION
Established in 1984, Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc., (COPS), is a national, non-profit organization that
works with law enforcement agencies, police organizations, mental health professional, and local peer-support
organizations to provide assistance to surviving families of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.
COPS has become a "lifeline" to police survivors nationwide. Survivors in Rhode Island may contact
Massachusetts COPS, Mrs. Eileen Vitale, Chapter President, 22 Poplar Street, Ipswich, MA 01938,
telephone 508-356-8544.
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS
Check with your local F.O.P. to see what benefits may be available to surviving dependents.
All of the benefit information above has been complied by COPS, a support group for police survivors.
Contact the National Office of Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc. for additional information, or to support any of COPS' programs.
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Web site copyrighted © 2005 by Lydia Warner Miller