DEPENDENT ELIGIBILITY

Domestic Partnerships

A domestic partner is defined as a “person, eighteen years of age or older, who is not married or related by blood to the employee or retiree in a manner that would bar marriage in the State of New York, who has a close and committed personal relationship with the employee or retiree, who lives with the employee or retiree and has been living with them on a continuous basis, and who, together with the employee or retiree, has registered with the City Clerk as a domestic partner of the employee or retiree and has not terminated the domestic partnership.” Employees can obtain details concerning eligibility, enrollment, and tax consequences from their payroll or personnel office or from the Office of Labor Relations, Domestic Partnership Liaison Unit at 212.306.7605.


Dependent Children

Eligible dependent children include natural children, legally adopted children, stepchildren, children for whom you have court appointed guardianship or legal custody and who are unmarried and live with you permanently. For the purpose of the Dental and optical benefit, eligible dependent children are covered until the end of the month day in which they reach their 23rd birthday.
For the prescription benefit, dependent children are covered until December 31st of the year they reach the age of 23 years old. Coverage may be extended for adult children up to age 26 who meet the specific criteria outlined below in the “Request for Coverage of Adult Children Up to Age 26.”


Stepchildren

Effective January 1, 2011, the Fund will provide benefit coverage for members’ stepchildren. To enroll your stepchildren, you must complete the “affidavit of Dependent stepchildren” and submit to the SOC Fund Office. Coverage will only be extended to Stepchildren who meet the specific criteria outlined in the “affidavit of Dependent stepchildren,” which can be downloaded at www.nypdsoc.com.

Developmentally Disabled or Physically Handicapped Dependents

Dependent coverage is also extended to any unmarried child, regardless of age, who: is
in-capable of self-sustaining employment by reason of a mental or physical handicap, who
becomes so prior to attainment of age 19, and who resides with and is wholly dependent
on the covered member for financial support. You must submit proof of your dependent
child’s incapacity to the SOC Fund Office within 31 days after the date he/or she attains the age at which the coverage would otherwise terminate, or within 31 days after you are notified of their termination of eligibility, whichever is later. Proof of the continued
existence of such incapacity shall be furnished to the SOC Fund Office from time to time
at its request.


Student Proof

Effective September 1, 2021 student proof is no longer required for dependents over the age of 19 years old. See definition of Dependent Children above.