Disability Retirement - Employees'

Members who are still actively employed and become disabled may be eligible for a Disability Retirement benefit.

There are 2 categories of Disability Retirement benefits:

1. Ordinary Disability - for disabilities that are not job-related.

2. Service-Connected Disability - for disabilities that are job-related.

Each of these will be explained in the sections that follow.

Ordinary Disability Retirement

To be eligible to be considered for Ordinary Disability retirement, a member must:

  • have at least 5 years of service
  • have a disability that is not job-related and
  • the Board of Trustees must certify that you are disabled.

When approved for an Ordinary Disability retirement benefit, those benefits are calculated as follows:

Plans A, B, C, & D

2% x Final Average Salary x Years of Service x 1.03

Plan E

2% x Final Average Salary x Years of Service

Unused sick leave may be credited as service.

Note: You must have no more than 30 years of service.

To begin the process of applying for disability retirement, first contact the Retirement Systems Office in one of the following ways:

The application form is available at this link.

The process for applying for disability retirement is complex, with many steps, so we strongly urge any member considering disability retirement to contact staff in the Retirement Systems office first. To do so:

To receive any Disability Retirement benefits available to Employees' Retirement System members, the member must apply and have their application approved by the Board of Trustees. It is a multi-step process, as summarized below. 

Staff and the Board fully understand the need for urgency in these matters and aim to complete action on disability applications as soon as possible. How long it takes is dependent upon the complexity of the individual's case, the time it takes ...

Click here for more information about the disability process

Service-Connected Retirement

Members who have any number of years of service may apply for a Service-Connected Retirement benefit. They do not need to be vested (have 5 years of service) or be eligible for Normal Service Retirement.

The disability must be job-related and you must apply for Workers Compensation benefits.

 

• Your disability must be caused by a job-related accident or disease; AND

• You must apply for Workers’ Compensation

When approved for a Service-Connected Disability retirement benefit, those benefits are calculated as follows:

66 2/3% of the Member's Final Average Salary at the Time of Retirement

If the member is receiving a workers compensation benefit, then the amount they receive for Service-Connected Disability will be offset (reduced) by the payment they are receiving in workers compensation benefits. When the member's workers compensation benefit ends, the offset (reduction) will be stopped, and they will receive the full Service-Connected Disability benefit.

To begin the process of applying for disability retirement, first contact the Retirement Systems Office in one of the following ways:

The application form is available at this link.

The process for applying for disability retirement is complex, with many steps, so we strongly urge any member considering disability retirement to contact staff in the Retirement Systems office first. To do so:

To receive any Disability Retirement benefits available to Employees' Retirement System members, the member must apply and have their application approved by the Board of Trustees. It is a multi-step process, as summarized below. 

Staff and the Board fully understand the need for urgency in these matters and aim to complete action on disability applications as soon as possible. How long it takes is dependent upon the complexity of the individual's case, the time it takes ...

Click here for more information about the disability process

Disability Retirement Manual

For more details on Disability Retirement benefits, click the button below.

Employees' Retirement System: Disability Manual

Disability Retirement Application Form - Employees'

Click Here to Access the Form
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