Disability Retirement

A TRS member who is mentally or physically disabled, and who has an active account and at least 10 years of service credit is eligible to apply for disability retirement. The inability to satisfactorily perform one’s current work duties, due to health reasons, is the major factor in determining ‘disability.’

Disability retirement benefits are calculated using a percentage of salary formula – two percent multiplied by the total years of creditable service, times the average monthly salary for your 24 highest consecutive months of membership service. The resulting product is the monthly disability benefit under Plan A Maximum plan. There is no age requirement for disability retirement.

Processing disability retirement applications can be a lengthy process due to the time required for health care provider(s) to submit your medical records. If multiple health care providers are involved with your situation, send our forms to them individually and simultaneously to speed completion of your medical documentation. Once all your records are provided, your case will be referred to our medical review board for a ruling supporting or denying your disability. The more medical data you provide, the better positioned the review board will be to understand your case and base its decision. Our review board may request you have an additional medical examination, which we will arrange for you at our expense. TRS will keep you apprised, in writing, on the status of your case, and will notify you when the review board renders its final decision.

Apply for Disability Retirement Online

To apply for disability retirement, you will login to your account to begin the process. Completing and submitting the application online will expedite the processing of your retirement. Applications for disability retirement should be submitted no earlier than 90 days prior to retirement and no later than the end of the month in which your retirement is to become effective.

Your effective date of retirement can be no earlier than:

• the first of the month following the establishment of enough service credit required for disability retirement eligibility,
• the first of the month following your termination from your TRS covered employment,
• the first month in which your retirement application is received by TRS.

Your employer will have to submit several forms to our office as part of the disability retirement application process, all of which must be completed accurately and completely before your application can be processed. A Retirement Certification form (TRS8) is required from your employer certifying the date on which your employment is or will be severed and that no agreement exists to allow you to return to service, including service as or for an independent contractor. Any return to employment or rendering of any paid service, including service as or for an independent contractor, for any employer during the calendar month of the effective date of retirement shall render the severance invalid and nullify your application for retirement.

While on disability retirement, you are ineligible to establish other types of service (i.e. military, out-of-state, study leave, etc.). You must also report all employment, including self-employment to TRS, as your disability benefit could be reduced or terminated should you become employed.

If you are enrolled and wish to continue coverage in the State Heath Benefit Plan after retirement, you should have your employer to notify State Health Benefit Plan of your pending retirement. TRS does not administer health benefits, so please direct any related questions to your employer or the Department of Community Health.