State of Georgia Employment

ERS Old and New Plans

If you were previously a member of the Employees’ Retirement System of Georgia (ERS) and withdrew your funds, you may establish this service with TRS. You are eligible to purchase your ERS withdrawn service after you have completed the required number of years of active TRS membership service.

 If you have withdrawn service, you must complete the following:

• 1, 2, or 3 previous account you must complete 3 years of active membership;
• 4 previous accounts you must complete 5 years of active membership; or
• 5 or more previous accounts you must complete 10 years of active membership.

Your cost for repayment of ERS withdrawals will be the amount of contributions you would have paid to TRS had you been a member, plus applicable interest. If you have not withdrawn your contributions from ERS, you may transfer your total credits immediately by paying the difference in the amount of contributions you paid as an ERS member and the amount of contributions you would have paid as a TRS member, plus applicable interest.

Should you request a transfer of your ERS account to TRS but elect not to pay the difference at the time it is transferred, you will receive retirement credit with TRS for a pro-rata portion of the service. However, full credit for the service under ERS will not be granted until you have paid the difference.

GSEPS

Members who have terminated GSEPS-covered employment, and are now employed in a position covered by TRS may transfer GSEPS credit and assets to TRS. There is no cost to transfer GSEPS service to TRS if the member has not refunded the GSEPS account.

Effective September 2019, a ruling from the Attorney General’s office allowed for the establishment of refunded GSEPS service. Prior to September 2019, an interpretation of GSEPS laws only allowed non-refunded GSEPS service to be established with TRS. All ERS members, including those under ERS’ GSEPS plan, are allowed to establish eligible refunded service. For refunded GSEPS accounts, the member and ERS share the cost.

If you have withdrawn service, you must complete the following:

• 1, 2, or 3 previous account you must complete 3 years of active membership;
• 4 previous accounts you must complete 5 years of active membership; or
• 5 or more previous accounts you must complete 10 years of active membership

Because the pension multipliers for TRS and GSEPS are different (1% for GSEPS), the transferred and purchased refunded service benefit amounts are established by ERS. For questions regarding how the GSEPS benefit amount is calculated, contact ERS directly by visiting their website at www.ers.ga.gov or by phone at (404) 350-6300.

To initiate the process to transfer ERS and/or GSEPS service credit to TRS, you must notify TRS, in writing, of your election to transfer the credits. Any member with State of Georgia service rendered prior to January 1, 1950, should contact TRS for information about establishing such service.