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* Those public employees whose municipalities have Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) provisions, or police and fire members whose municipalities have accepted the 20-year plan, contribute an extra 1% into the retirement system.

Your contributions to the Employees' and Municipal Employees' Retirement System of Rhode Island are deposited into a trust fund set aside for the exclusive benefit of the members of the retirement system and their beneficiaries.

The investments of the fund are managed by the nine-member State Investment Commission (SIC), which is chaired by the General Treasurer. The other members of the SIC are the state's Director of Administration, the Chairmen of the House and Senate Finance Committees, the Chairman of the Higher Education Assistance Authority, a member of the retirement system (or union official) appointed by the General Treasurer, and three members appointed by the Governor.

The SIC meets monthly to review and analyze the investment performance of the state's pension fund. The commission invests 425 of the fund in US. stocks and 30% in U.S. bonds. The remainder of the funds is invested in alternative, real estate and international investments.

The amount of your retirement allowance will be determined by two factors: your years of creditable service and your average salary for your three highest consecutive years. The factors used to determine your allowance vary according to your plan membership.

The laws governing your retirement differ according to your status as a state employee, public school teacher, or municipal employee. However, as of June 16, 1991, members of the Employees' Retirement System of Rhode Island must have 10 years of contributing service to retire. As of December 31, 1992, members of the Municipal Retirement System must have 10 years of contributing service to retire.

If you are a state employee or public school teacher, you can retire with 28 years of service or at age 60 with 10 years of contributing service if you are under "Schedule A," vested as of 7/1/05. If you are a state employee or public school teacher vested after 7/1/05, you will retire under "Schedule B" and may retire at age 65 with 10 years of service, or at age 59 with 29 years of service.

If you are a municipal employee, you must have 30 years of service or have reached age 58 with 10 years of contributing service.

If you are a police & fire member, you can retire with 25 years of service or at age 55 with 10 years of contributing service. If your municipality has adopted such a plan, you may also be eligible to retire at age 50 with 20 years of service.

In all cases, prior to retirement you must sign a statement indicating that you have not been convicted of or pled guilty to any crime related to your public office or public employment, as defined in R.I.G.L. Section 36-10.1-2.

Schedule A public school teachers and state employees receive a 3% compounded COLA the third January following retirement and every January thereafter. Thus, if you are a Schedule A state employee or public school teacher and retired in August 2000, your first COLA was be reflected in your January 2003 pension benefit.

Municipal employees receive a cost-of-living adjustment only if the municipality from which the member is retiring has adopted a COLA provision. If the COLA has been adopted, it is 3% non-compounded effective on the next January following your retirement.

Schedule B Retirees receive COLA beginning the month after the 3^rd anniversary date of retirement, the lesser of 3% or the CPI-U as of September 30 of the prior calendar year, compounded annually.

COBRA is a federal law that allows employees who are losing their medical coverage to purchase from their employer,at full cost and for up to 18 months, the same benefits that they received as an active employee.

When going on COBRA, you may switch to any other health plan offered by your employer. While on COBRA, you may also maintain any dental or vision plan you had as an active employee.

Payment for COBRA is arranged through your employer; deductions cannot be taken from your pension benefit.

If you are a state benefit recipient, a Retirement Counselor will help you complete the proper paperwork if you choose COBRA. However, billing for COBRA health care is handled by the State Employee Benefits Office. They will send you an initial bill indicating your monthly premium. You will not receive a monthly bill, but you must pay the monthly premium on time.

If you are a municipal or teacher benefit recipient, your COBRA benefits will be administered and billed through your former employer. Contact your personnel officer for assistance.

If you are a municipal employee, your health coverage is arranged through your former employer. Please contact them for information.

If you are a teacher, your employer may offer health coverage, or you may join a group health plan through ERSRI. If you join an ERSRI plan, you will pay the full group rate for the plan of your choice, and premiums will be deducted monthly from your pension benefit.

If you are a state employee, some or all of your benefit recipient health care cost may be picked up by the State of Rhode Island. If you are receiving full coverage, the state will pay for a basic health plan until age 65. If you choose a health plan offered by the state other than the basic plan, there may be an additional cost to you which will be deducted from your pension benefit.

At age 65, if you receive full coverage, the state will pay for an over 65 "medigap" plan used in conjunction with Medicare Parts A and B from Social Security. If you have documented proof of ineligibility for Medicare, the state will pay an amount equal to the amount the state will contribute towards your health plan is dependent upon the number of years you have credited in the retirement system when you retire from the State of Rhode Island; see the charts below.

At age 65 you must have Parts A and B of Medicare from Social Security to participate in an over-65 plan. The state share is as follows:

You may have federal and Rhode Island state withholding deducted from your retirement allowance. To do this, you must complete tax form W4P when you retire.

The Retirement Office is required by law to inform all benefit recipients that they may elect to have federal income tax withheld from their monthly benefit allowances. You may be subject to tax penalties on your retirement income if you fail to pay or withhold sufficient tax.

You cannot have state income tax deducted from your retirement benefit for a state other than Rhode Island.

You may not go back to work full time for the State of Rhode Island, any Rhode Island municipality or any participating ERSRI unit and receive a retirement allowance from the State of Rhode Island without suspending your pension.

If you do choose to return to work full time for the State of Rhode Island or in a Rhode Island municipality or any participating ERSRI unit, your pension will be suspended. Also, retirement contributions will not be deducted from your wages, nor will you receive further service credit for working after retirement.

You may work full time for any federal agency or private company.

You may not work for any state agency or department on a part-time basis. You may work part time on a limited basis for a Rhode Island municipality or public school system, or Rhode Island state school, college or university, or as a nurse at a state operated facility. Please read the limitations below.

75-day Rule for Working in a participating R.I. Municipality or Public School: Municipal benefit recipients may return to work for a Rhode Island municipality or Rhode Island Public School system for 75 full days or 150 half days per calendar year. For retirement purposes, 3 hours or less equals a half day; anything over 3 hours shall be considered a full day. For municipal benefit recipients working in a public school system, the Retirement Office will calculate days worked based on a school year (September 1st - August 31st).

90-day Rule for Substitute Teaching in a R.I. Public School or State School: If you are a retired teacher, you may substitute in a Rhode Island public school for 90 full days or 180 half days (3 hours or less) per school year (September 1st - August 31st).

Retired Teachers Working in a vacant position: If you are a retired teacher and return to work in a RI public school in any position other than substitute, you may do so upto 90 days in a school year provide the employing department certifies they have made a good faith effort to fill the position with a non-retire person. . See the Membership & Retirement handbook for further details and reporting requirements.

Teaching at a Rhode Island State School, College or University: If you retired from a state school, college or university, or are a retired teacher, you may teach at a state school, college or university after retirement, subject to a gross wage limit of $15,000 per calendar year.

Teaching Driver’s Education or Motorcycle Driver’s Education: If you are a retired teacher, you may teach Driver's Ed or Motorcycle Driver's Ed, but you are subject to a gross wage limit of $15,000 per calendar year.

Registered Nurses: Any member who retired from service as a registered nurse may work on a per diem basis to provide professional nursing care and/or services at a state operated facility in Rhode Island, subject to a gross wage limit of $12,000 per calendar year.

Yes. In all cases, you and your employer are required by law to report your workdays or wages, whichever is applicable. Your employing unit has been provided with forms to report monthly on your post-retirement employment, and they can be downloaded off the "ERSRI Forms" link at the top of this page. You should sign a form each month, before your employer submits it to the Retirement Office. Forms are available at the Retirement Office.

Check with your employer to ensure that proper reporting is completed each month.

For ERSRI or MERS members, the benefit is $800 per year of service, up to a maximum $16,000. This amount is reduced 25% every year after retirement, but not below the minimum benefit of $4,000.

Even if you've chosen an option where your pension ends when you die, your beneficiary is still entitled to a standard death benefit.

If you have under ten years of service at the time of your death, your beneficiary will be entitled to a return of your contributions, in addition to the standard death benefit.

If you have over ten years of service and have completed an Optional Annuity Protection form, your beneficiary will have the option of receiving either a return of your contributions or a monthly annuity, in addition to the standard death benefit. Spouses automatically get this option provided the member had over ten years of service and the spouse was the sole beneficiary.

No matter which pension benefit payment option you choose, your beneficiary is entitled to the standard death benefit described above. If you have chosen Option #1 or Option #2, your beneficiary will receive his/her predetermined monthly benefit.

If you have chosen the SRA/Maximum Plan or SRA Plus (Social Security Option) and you die before an amount equal to your contributions has been returned to you through monthly benefits, your beneficiary will be entitled to a return of your unpaid contributions as well as the standard death benefit.

Generally, the number of years you have worked and contributed to the retirement system will determine the amount of your retirement allowance. If you are a state or municipal employee, you will receive one year of retirement credit for each year worked. You must have worked a minimum of 20 hours per week. Casual or seasonal employment is excluded. Contact, temporary, and limited position employment are also generally excluded as casual employment, or employment for a special project, which is prohibited.
If you are a teacher, you will receive a year of retirement credit for each school year in which you are employed and contribute at least 135 days.

Membership in other Participating Plans or Units
Time spent within other participating plans or units of the retirement system can be used towards your eventual retirement. For example, if you were employed by both the Town of Bristol and the State of Rhode Island (not concurrently), you may count both service periods towards your eventual retirement. Municipal credit must have been earned within a participating unit of the Municipal Retirement System.

Yes, a member may be eligible to purchase other types of credit. A total of five years of purchased service credit may be added to your total years of service, but as of June 16, 1991 for state employees and December 31, 1992 for municipal employees, you must have ten years of contributing service in order to retire. Service credit purchases are not considered contributing service. Here is a description of the various types of credit you may be eligible to purchase as a member of the Employees or Municipal Retirement System:

Restoration of Service Credit
If you return to membership after withdrawing your contributions upon separation from service, you may restore your credits after completing one year of service from the date of your return. You must pay into the system the amount you had refunded to you, plus interest.

Official Leave of Absence
You may purchase up to four years of credit for time spent on an Official Leave of absence from your employment, as certified by your employer. You must pay into the system the amount you would have contributed to the system, plus interest. Certain restrictions may apply regarding when you must have returned to work at the end of the leave, depending on your employment. In general, you may only purchase such time provided you have returned to active employment for at least one year.

Official Lay-off
You may purchase up to one year of credit for time spent on an official lay-off, provided you were not on official leave without pay and did not withdraw your retirement contributions while laid off. The cost of this purchase will be the amount you would have contributed to the system but for the lay-off, plus interest.

Military Service Credit
You may purchase up to a maximum of four years credit for time spent on active duty for service in the US Armed Services or Reserves or the Merchant Marine. The purchase of credit is based upon 10% of your first full year of earnings. If you began your membership in the system after July 1, 1980, you may buy your military credits interest free provided they are purchased within your first five years of membership in the system.

Out-of-State and Private School Teaching
If you are a public school teacher within the State of Rhode Island, you are eligible to purchase up to five years of out-of-state teaching or private school teaching time. You will be charged the full actuarial value of such time based on your age and salary at the time of the purchase.

Credit for Service in a Non-Participating Municipality
Members may purchase service credit for time spent within other municipalities within Rhode Island that are not part of MERS. For example, you might be eligible to purchase time spent working for the City of Providence (which is not a MERS plan). You will be charged full actuarial value based on your age and salary at the time of the purchase.

You must be an active member of the retirement system in order to purchase retirement credit. You cannot purchase time towards your retirement after you retire or terminate.

See the Service Credit Info section on this website. Additional information about the purchase process is available upon request to the Member Services Department.

You can also download the forms necessary to purchase service through this website.

Yes, there are different types of disability benefits. Accidental disability benefits are available to those individuals who find themselves physically or mentally incapacitated as a result of their work. In other words, the individual's disability is causally related to his/her employment; and, but for his/her employment, the individual would not be disabled.

There are also ordinary disability benefits. You should apply for ordinary disability benefits if the reason for your disability is independent of your employment as a public employee.

The Employees' Retirement Board of Rhode Island makes the decision to grant disability benefits. However, in granting benefits they must adhere to the legal standard regarding disability found in the Rhode Island General Laws. In awarding an accidental disability benefit, the board must find:

that the member is physically or mentally incapacitated for the performance of service as the result of an accident while in the performance of duty. The disability cannot be the result of willful negligence or misconduct on the part of the member, nor can the disability be the result of age or length of service.

In reviewing an application for accidental disability, the Board will be particularly interested in the relationship between your disability and the accident which is said to have caused your condition. It will examine all the documents you have submitted which relate to your accident or injury and in many instances will confer either by phone or in writing with your employer and those individuals who have witnessed the event.

In granting an ordinary disability benefit, the Board need only find:

that the member is physically or mentally incapacitated for the performance of duty and ought to be retired.

In every case of disability retirement, the Board is legally prohibited from granting you benefits unless you meet certain requirements described in this handbook.

Any state employee, public school teacher, or municipal employee who is contributing a percentage of his/her salary to the Employees' Retirement System of Rhode Island and who has not attained the age of sixty-five is eligible to apply for accidental disability benefits. There are no service requirements.

You must file your accidental disability application within 5 years of the date of the injury. If you are a state employee or teacher and you have a re-injury, your application must be filed within 3 years of the re-injury or aggravation.

If you are granted accidental disability benefits, you will receive a pension that is equal to sixty-six and two-thirds of your annual compensation as of the date of your retirement from service.

Example:

$30,000 x 66-2/3% = $20,000
(salary) (accidental disability benefit)

You may receive your accidental disability retirement benefit under the Service Retirement Allowance (SRA), Option 1 or Option 2. You cannot elect the Social Security Option if you are receiving an accidental disability retirement.

Here is an explanation of the retirement options that are available to you as an accidental disability benefit recipient:

Service Retirement Allowance/Maximum Plan

The Service Retirement Allowance for accidental disability is based on sixty-six and two-thirds (66 2/3) percent of your salary as a public employee at the time of your retirement.

You receive more money under the Service Retirement Allowance than you do under Option 1 or Option 2. Upon your death, however, all pension payments will stop. Furthermore, a retiree who selects the Service Retirement Allowance cannot change his/her retirement option after the date of retirement.

Option # 1/Joint and Survivor Full

Option #1 provides that upon the retiree's death, the beneficiary will receive for his/her lifetime the same retirement allowance as was received by the member. Thus, there will be an initial actuarial reduction in the retirement amount granted to the retiree/member of the retirement system. Should you select Option #1, you are given the right to change your retirement option one time only provided the retiree and the beneficiary have not divorced.

Option #2/Joint and Survivor Half

Option #2 provides that upon the retiree's death, the beneficiary will receive for his/her lifetime a retirement allowance that is equal to half the retirement allowance that was received by the member. Should you select Option #2, you are given the right to change your retirement option provided the retiree and the beneficiary have not divorced. You may elect to change your retirement option only once.

The ERSRI Handbook on Retirement contains detailed information about the different retirement options, including Schedule A and Schedule B pension calculation. View this publication.

If you are granted ordinary disability benefits, you will receive a retirement allowance that is equal to what you would have received had you retired with a Service Retirement Allowance, under either Schedule A for persons vested as of 7/1/05, or Schedule B for persons vested after 7/1/05. If you have less than 10 years of service, your ordinary disability benefit will be computed as if you had 10 years of service.

Here are some examples. The first is a state employee with 7 years of service and an average salary of $25,000 at the time of his retirement, calculated under Schedule A.

Example 1

State Employee
Service: 7 years (bumped up to 10 years)
Average Salary at time of Retirement: $25,000

Ordinary Disability Benefit/SRA:
First 10 years x 1.7% = 17% Total Percentage
17% x $25,000 = $4,250 yearly for life
(ordinary disability benefit)

The second is a municipal employee with 25 years of service and an annual salary of $24,000 at the time of his retirement.

Example 2

Municipal Employee
Service: 25 years of service
Average Salary at time of Retirement: $24,000

Ordinary Disability Benefit/SRA:
25 years x 2.0% = 50% Total Percentage
50% x $24,000 = $12,000 yearly for life
(ordinary disability benefit)

The physicians are required to submit a narrative regarding his/her examination of the applicant and to sign a certificate as to whether, in his/her opinion, you are disabled, and in the case of accidental disability, whether your disability is causally related to your injury or accident.

The Disability Sub-Committee of the Employees' Retirement System of Rhode Island will then meet to review all of the evidence, both medical and non-medical, that has been filed regarding your case. The Disability Sub-Committee makes its recommendation to the full board who will then formally approve or deny the application.

If the Sub-Committee denies your request for a disability benefit, you may appeal and appear in person before the Disability Sub-Committee. The Sub-Committee will listen to whatever additional evidence you present regarding your case including any additional medical documentation which you have amassed. Although it is not required, an applicant may choose to be represented by counsel before either the Disability Sub-Committee.

Should the Disability Sub-Committee ultimately deny your case, the applicant may request a further appeal before the entire Retirement Board.

State employees receive a cost-of-living adjustment added to their monthly disability benefit check effective January 1st of the third year of retirement. Only those teachers on ordinary disability receive a cost-of- living adjustment. Teachers on accidental disability retirement do not. If you are entitled to a COLA, you will receive an additional 3% compounded COLA each year.

Municipal employees receive a cost-of-living adjustment only if the municipality from which the member is retiring has adopted a COLA provision. If the COLA has been adopted, the municipal benefit recipients receive a 3% cost-of-living adjustment on the next January following their retirement date. The 3% annual adjustment is not compounded.

It depends. If you are a Rhode Island resident, you will have to pay state and federal income tax on the ordinary disability benefits you receive from the State of Rhode Island. Different rules may apply if you are a resident of another state.

Accidental disability benefits from ERSRI are not taxable.

The portion paid is based on the following chart:

Yes. Once each year, the retirement board can require a disability retiree under 65 to submit to a medical examination. If the medical examination determines that the applicant can be engaged in a gainful occupation, his or her name can be placed on appropriate lists for qualified positions in his/her department.

Should a disability recipient refuse to submit to a medical examination, his or her benefit shall be discontinued until the recipient agrees to the exam. Should the recipient's refusal extend for more than one year, all rights to the disability award shall be revoked.

The amount that you contribute to the system is based on the type of retirement plan that has been selected by your participating municipality:

* Those public safety members whose municipalities have COLA provisions pay an extra one percent into the retirement system.

Your contributions to the Municipal Employees' Retirement System of Rhode Island are deposited into a trust fund set aside for the exclusive benefit of the members and beneficiaries of the retirement system.

The investments of the fund are managed by a seven-member State Investment Commission (SIC) chaired by the General Treasurer. The members of the State Investment Commission are the state's Director of Administration, the Chairperson of the House and Senate Finance Committees, and three members appointed by the Governor.

The SIC meets monthly to review and analyze the investment performance of the state's pension fund.

If you are a police or fire member, you must first find out what kind of plan your municipality has adopted. There are really only two choices: the twenty-five year plan or the twenty-year plan. Find out which plan you are enrolled in by asking your personnel director or by calling the Employees' Retirement System.

If you are a police or fire member of a department that has adopted the twenty-five year plan, you can retire with 25 years of service at any age, or at age 55 with ten years of contributing service. You may also be eligible to retire at age 50 with twenty years of service. However, in the last case, your retirement allowance will be reduced by 1/2 of one percent for each month that you are under the age of 55.

If you are a police or fire member of a department that has adopted an optional twenty-year plan, you may retire at any age as long as you have 20 years of service.

If you are a member of the South Kingston police department, you may retire as soon as the amount of your earned retirement allowance equals half pay or 50% of your salary.

All police and fire members must retire upon reaching age 70. Woonsocket officers must retire upon reaching age 65.

Generally, the number of years you have worked and contributed to the retirement system will determine the amount of your retirement allowance. If you are a municipal fire and police member, you will receive one year of retirement credit for each year worked. Again, casual or seasonal employment is excluded. In addition to regular service credit, you may also be eligible to receive credit for the following types of service. Please remember that purchases may be added to your total years of service, but that as of December 31, 1992 for municipal employees, you must have ten years of contributing service in order to retire. Purchases, other than refunds and probationary time, are not considered contributing service.

No member may purchase more than five years of service credit as of January 1, 1995.Repayments of previously withdrawn refunds are not considered purchases and will not be included in your five year purchase total.

Yes, a member is eligible to purchase other types of credit. Here is a description of the various types of credit available to you as a member of the Employees' Retirement System.

Refunds
If you return to service after taking a refund of your contributions upon separation from service, you may restore your credits by paying into the system the amount you withdrew, plus interest, after completing one year of service from the date of your return.

Membership in other Participating Plans or Units
Time spent within other participating plans or units of the retirement system can be used towards your eventual retirement. For example, if you were employed by both the Town of Bristol and the State of Rhode Island (not concurrently), you may count both service periods towards your eventual retirement. Municipal credit must have been earned within a participating unit of the Employees' Retirement System.

Leaves of Absence
You may currently purchase up to four years of credit for time spent on an official leave of absence from your employment. You must pay into the system the amount you would have contributed to the system, plus interest. You may only purchase such time provided you have returned to active service immediately upon completion of the leave and have been employed for at least one year.

Layoffs
You may purchase up to one year of credit if you are laid off for any reason. You must pay into the system the amount you would have contributed to the system, plus interest. You must leave your contributions in the system and must be contributing at the time of purchase.

Military Service Credit
You can receive credit for time spent on active duty for service in the U.S. Armed Services or the Merchant Marine. Pursuant to R.I.G.L. 36-5-3, this time is granted to you if you were a member of the system for at least 6 months prior to entry into the armed forces and returned within one year after release or discharge from honorable military service.

You may also purchase credit for military service prior to becoming a member. The purchase of credit is based upon 10% of your first full year of earnings as a municipal employee. If you began your membership in the system after July 1, 1980, you may buy your military credits interest free provided they are purchased within your first five years of membership in the system.

You may only purchase up to four years of military credit.

See the Service Credit Info section on this website. Additional information about the purchase process is available upon request to the Member Services Department.

You can also download the forms necessary to purchase service through this website.

The amount of your retirement allowance will be determined by two factors: your years of creditable service and your average salary for your three highest consecutive years. The factors used to determine your allowance vary according to your plan membership.

Police and Fire members of the Employees' Retirement System are eligible for the following options:

Service Retirement Allowance/Maximum Plan
The Service Retirement Allowance is based on your creditable service and salary as a public employee. You receive more money under the Service Retirement Allowance than you do under Option 1 or Option 2. Furthermore, a retiree who selects the Service Retirement Allowance cannot change his/her retirement option after the date of retirement.

Option #1/Joint and Survivor Full
Option #1 provides that upon the retiree's death, the beneficiary will receive for his/her lifetime the same retirement allowance as was received by the member. Thus, there will be an initial actuarial reduction in the retirement amount granted to the retiree/member of the retirement system. If under Option #1, you select a beneficiary who is not your spouse, the beneficiary may not be more than 10 years younger than the member retiree. Should you select Option 1, you are given the right to change your retirement option one time only provided the retiree and the beneficiary have not divorced.

Option #2/Joint and Survivor Half
Option #2 provides that upon the retiree's death, the beneficiary will receive for his/her lifetime a retirement allowance that is equal to half the retirement allowance that was originally received by the member. Should you select Option 2, you are given the right to change your retirement option provided that the retiree and the beneficiary have not divorced. You may elect to change your retirement option only once.

The police and fire statutes also provide that upon your death (either active or retired), your spouse provided that she/he does not remarry will receive 30% of your salary plus an additional 10% for each child under age 18 to a maximum family benefit of 50%. In the case of an active death, however, this benefit will not be awarded if the member has filled out an Optional Annuity Protection form.

Here's an example using a 49-year old firefighter with 25 years of service and an average salary of $40,000. He is enrolled in a twenty-five year plan:

If the beneficiary is younger than the member:

If the beneficiary is older than the member:

Yes, there are different types of disability benefits. Accidental disability benefits are available to those individuals who find themselves physically or mentally incapacitated because of a work-related accident. In other words, the individual's disability is causally related to his/her employment and, but for his/her employment, the individual would not be disabled.

There are also ordinary disability benefits. You should apply for ordinary disability benefits if the reason for your disability is independent of your employment as a public employee.

The Employees' Retirement Board of Rhode Island makes the decision to grant disability benefits. However, in granting benefits they must adhere to the legal standard regarding disability found in the Rhode Island General Laws. In awarding an accidental disability benefit, the board must find:

that the member is physically or mentally incapacitated for the performance of service as the result of an accident while in the performance of duty. The disability cannot be the result of willful negligence or misconduct on the part of the member, nor can the disability be the result of age or length of service.

In reviewing an application for accidental disability, the Board will be particularly interested in the relationship between your disability and the accident which is said to have caused your condition. It will examine all the documents which you have submitted which relate to your accident or injury and in many instances will confer either by phone or in writing with your employer and those individuals who have witnessed the event.

In granting an ordinary disability benefit, the Board need only find:

that the member is physically or mentally incapacitated for the performance of duty and ought to be retired.

If you are granted accidental disability benefits, you will receive a pension that is equal to sixty-six and two-thirds of your annual compensation as of the date of your retirement from service.

Example:

$40,000 x 66-2/3% = $26,640.
(salary) (accidental disability benefit)

If you are granted ordinary disability benefits, you will receive a retirement allowance that is equal to what you would have received had you retired with a Service Retirement Allowance. If you have less than 10 years of service, your ordinary disability benefit will be computed as if you had 10 years of service.

Here is an example:

As of August 6, 1996, new applicants for ordinary disability are eligible to select an option upon retirement. As with accidental disability, you can only receive your ordinary disability retirement benefit under the Service Retirement Allowance (SRA), Option1 or Option2. You cannot elect the Social Security Option if you are receiving an ordinary disability retirement.

If you have decided to apply for disability benefits, you should call the Employees' Retirement System at (401) 457-3900 and ask to speak with a retirement counselor. The counselor will recommend that you make an appointment and send you a Disability Retirement Packet that includes the Green Handbook on Disability Retirement.

You should contact the retirement system about six months prior to the date of your retirement. We will send you an Application for Retirement and make an appointment for you to meet with one of our retirement counselors. Although it is not required, we strongly recommend that you meet with a retirement counselor prior to your retirement.

You should bring your completed Retirement Application and a copy of your birth certificate with you on the day of your appointment. You will also have to fill out an Option Selection Form before your retirement can be processed.

As a municipal employee, you should contact your municipal personnel department regarding benefit recipient health care benefits.

You may not go back to work full-time for any participating municipal unit in ERSRI and receive a retirement allowance from the State of Rhode Island. ou may work on a part-time basis under limited circumstances. See the Membership & Retirement handbook for more information on post-retirement employment limitations. You may work for a private employer or the federal government.

If you have over ten years of service and have completed an Optional Annuity Protection form, your beneficiary will have the option of receiving either a return of contributions or a monthly annuity in addition to the death benefit. Spouses will automatically get this option provided the member had over ten years of service and the spouse was the sole beneficiary.

Or, your spouse may elect a yearly annuity of up to 50% of your rate of compensation at the time of your death depending upon the number of dependent children. Should your spouse re-marry and have children of the deceased member under the age of eighteen, he/she will still be eligible to receive 10% of your rate of compensation for each child under the age of eighteen up to a maximum family benefit of 50%.

If the spouse is divorced from the member at the time of death, no benefits are available.

Public safety member should only fill out an Optional Annuity Protection form if their beneficiary is not the spouse as the OAP form will negate whatever benefits are available under the police and fire statutes.

• One wage and contribution file format will be used by all employers.
• No punctuation marks will be allowed (i.e. no decimal points in currency fields. The last two digits will always represent the decimal amount.)
• The record is a fixed length of 302 positions. If the reported data is not long enough to fill the number of spaces allowed, preceding zeros should be added to numeric fields and blank spaces should be added to the end of alphanumeric fields.
• Addresses will only be reported for new hires.
• Records should be ordered by SSN and then Reported Wages Code.
• An employee's date of birth will no longer need to be reported.
• New organization codes (system codes) will be issued.
• All dates will contain four-digit years.
• Actual units and base units, or number of paid days will be used to calculate service credit.
• Additional wage codes (transaction codes) have been added.
• An employee's salary will be divided into Employer Reported Wages and Federally Funded Wages (for Teachers/Certified).
• Employer contributions will be reported.
• Employer survivor benefit contributions and federally funded contributions will be reported for Teachers/Certified.
• A status code and status date will be reported.
• A position code will be reported.
• An additional address line has been added.

Any time a correction to a wage and contribution report that was previously sent to ERSRI is needed, an adjustment will need to be reported. Adjustments can be reported in one of two different ways:

1) A separate Adjustment Report can be sent to ERSRI.

2) An adjustment record can be added to the next regular wage and contribution report.