(a) Notwithstanding Section 21498, when either an initial payment of a preretirement or postretirement death allowance or a preretirement or postretirement lump-sum benefit is payable in an amount of ten dollars ($10) or more, it shall be authorized to the Controller within 45 days of receipt by this system of all the necessary information, including the return of warrants issued or any overpayment outstanding after the date of the death of the annuitant.
(b) If any payment is not made within that time limitation, the payment shall also include interest at the default interest rate established in Section 1 of Article XV of the California Constitution for time following the expiration of that time limitation.