If you experience a divorce, dissolution of a civil union partnership, legal separation or annulment, it's considered a qualifying change in status. In the case of divorce, civil union dissolution or annulment, you must remove the spouse or civil union partner, as well as stepchildren and the civil union partner's children, from all coverage. In the case of legal separation, you may remove the spouse and/or stepchildren from coverage if you wish. You may also increase or decrease your optional life insurance coverage, and opt back in to group insurance coverage if you previously opted out.
You must notify the agency in writing within 60 days of a divorce, legal separation, civil union dissolution or annulment.
You'll need to provide the first and last pages of your divorce decree to remove insurance coverage. See suggested updates.
SURS provides information on divorce and Qualified Illinois Domestic Relations Orders (PDF).
When a life change occurs, it's important to update your information and benefits to meet your new needs.
Submit changes to your name or address with the Personal Data - Name Address Form (XLS).
If your marital status or number of dependents changes, adjust your tax exemptions on your paycheck by submitting updated federal and Illinois W-4 forms.
If your bank account changes, log into MyNIU to make updates to your direct deposit information.
Update beneficiary information for your State University Retirement System (SURS) pension online or by calling 1-800-275-7877.
You should also update your beneficiary information with your supplemental retirement plan provider.
Call us at 815-753-6000 to add or remove insurance coverage. You may need to supply a birth or adoption certificate, Social Security number, death certificate or obituary, divorce decree, or other document.
Update beneficiary information for your life insurance through Central Management Services.
Submit a claim through Human Resource Services to Securian Financial. You'll need to supply a copy of the death certificate or obituary.
Disclaimer: The information contained in the Life Events section is a summary and may not include all conditions, limitations, or exceptions that may be applicable to a particular situation. Every effort has been made to present current information without inaccuracies; however, errors, additions, deletions, and changes in the laws or procedures may occur and could make the information out of date or inaccurate. Therefore, users of this website are advised of their responsibility to contact the HRS Service Center (815-753-6000) directly for specific information relating to benefits and to confirm the accuracy and completeness of the posted information.