Reinstating Previously Refunded Service Credit

Your employees who have an existing record of eligible, non-forfeited service credit with URS may reinstate, or your agency may reinstate for them, a previous refund of employee contributions, however the refund must represent eligible service. The total reinstatement payment must be completed before their effective retirement date set with our office.

 

Note: A reinstatement must be credited to an employee’s account four years before qualifying for a non-line-of-duty disability benefit in the Tier 1 Firefighters Retirement System.

Purchasing Eligible Service Credit

Active employees who have an existing record of four or more years of eligible service credit with URS may purchase, or your agency may purchase for them, the following:

•    Active full-time United States military service, if it does not otherwise qualify for service credit under a system administered by URS. Your employee must be an active member and have four or more years of eligible service credit with URS to purchase active full-time United States military service. The payment is made to the system under which the employee is currently covered.

•    Your employee must be an active member and have four or more years of eligible service credit with URS to purchase qualified forfeited service. Your employee must have an existing record of eligible service credit to reinstate eligible service forfeited by a refund of member contributions. The payment is made to the system under which the employee is currently covered.

•    Any amount of the following qualified service equal to the period of employment, if the service has been forfeited under any other retirement system or plan, inclusive of money from savings plans. Qualified service includes:

 

» United States federal employment

» Private school employment based in the United States

» Public employment in another state or territory of the United States

» Public service in this state

» Full-time employment while on an approved leave of absence

» Workers’ compensation, long-term and short-term disability benefit period for which the member was paid and no benefit protection contract existed

» Employment covered by the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA)

» Utah Charter School employment

» Exempt service

 

The payment is made to the system under which the employee is currently covered.

 

Refer to the Purchasing Service Credit brochure available on our website or from our office for detailed information on the types of service that may be purchased and the options for payment.

 

Purchasing Future Service Credit

Your employee must meet one of the following to purchase future service:

»  Be an active member in the Tier 1 Public Employees Contributory or Noncontributory Retirement System and have 25 years of service or be age 65 with five years of service.

»  Be an active member in the Tier 2 Public Employees Retirement System and have 30 years of service or be age 65 with five years of service.

»  Be an active member in the Tier 2 Public Safety & Firefighter Retirement System and have 20 years of service or be age 65 with five years of service.

 

Refer to the Purchasing Future Service Credit brochure on our website or from our office or U.C.A. § 49-12-409, U.C.A. § 49-13-408, U.C.A. § 49-22-309, Board Resolution 2012-04 for information on purchasing service credit.

Steps for Employers

1. If your agency elects to participate in the purchase of future service credit:

•    Your agency is required to adopt and follow a purchase policy that includes nondiscriminatory participation standards for all regular full-time employees.

2. Your employee must inquire about the cost of reinstating or purchasing service at least six months before retiring by calling the Retirement Benefits Department at 801-366-7770 or 800-695-4877. Employees may calculate an estimate of a service purchase cost by using our Service Purchase Estimate Calculator at www.urs.org.

3. If your employee elects to purchase future service credit:

•    Complete Section B, Employer Verification, on the Application for Purchase of Future Service Credit (Form RTRT-37).

•    Indicate if your agency will participate in paying for the purchase.

•    Complete a Certification of Nondiscriminatory Participation Standards (Form RPSP-9) confirming your agency will send the payment to our office (if your agency chooses to participate).

•    Refer to the Purchasing Future Service Credit brochure and the Purchasing Service Credit brochure available on our website or from our office for more information on purchasing future service credit.

4. Remind employees that completing paperwork and making payment to URS for a service purchase or reinstatement of a retirement refund does not mean they have filed for monthly retirement benefits. An employee must set a retirement date by completing an Application for Service Retirement and filing it with our office to officially retire. Refer to the Retirement Benefits section of this Guide for more information on how to apply for retirement benefits.

5. Verify employment information on previously withdrawn funds when requested by our office.