Tier 1 Firefighters’ Retirement System Disability Retirement

The Firefighters Retirement System is the only retirement system under URS that offers a disability retirement. Note: Refer to information earlier in this section about all the other URS retirement systems and LTD.

Firefighters who are unable to perform firefighter service, due to a physical or mental condition incurred in the line of duty, may qualify for a disability retirement if the condition is classified by our office as a line-of-duty disability. The monthly disability retirement benefit is an amount equal to 50% of the member’s final average monthly salary.

Our office determines the eligibility for a disability according to the following standards:

1. The member must have five years of earned service credit if the condition is classified by our office as a non-line-of-duty disability. There is no minimum service requirement if the member is disabled in the line of duty.

2. The member must be totally and presumably permanently disabled.

3. Application for a disability retirement may occur while the member is employed or within 90 days after separation of employment.

4. The member must not have taken a refund of retirement contributions.

5. The member does not have 20 years of service credit for a service retirement.

The disability retirement process requires members to submit an Application for Retirement Firefighters Retirement System (Form RTRT-25D), W-4P federal Periodic Tax Withholding (Form RTW4PFEDTAX), State of Utah Income Tax Withholding (Form RTTX-2), and an Authorization to Disclose Information to Utah Retirement Systems (Form RTDA-4).

Upon receipt of the member’s retirement application, we send an Employer’s Certification (Form RTCE-1) to the employer. We also send a Verification of Service and Salary (Form RTCT-7) to employers when members have separated from employment.

The completed forms, copies of the member’s medical records relating to the condition, and the Doctor’s Disability Examination Report (Form RTDR-2) completed by one or more treating physicians, with the evaluation and recommendations of one or more independent physicians selected by our office, must be received by our office before the review for disability retirement eligibility can begin. The disability retirement application process usually takes three to six months to complete.

Our staff and the URS board physician approve or disapprove applications for disability retirement benefits based on the above-listed information. If necessary, additional referrals for examination of members by an impartial physician may be required. If disability retirement is denied, members may submit a written request to our office to initiate an administrative review of the decision.

Members approved for disability retirement receive service credit in the Firefighters Retirement System during the period of their disability. The disability retirement is converted to a service retirement at the time the disability benefits terminate. Disability retirees receive a disability retirement benefit until the earlier of:

1. The date the member is no longer disabled;

2. The date the member has accumulated 20 years of firefighter service credit, including years earned while disabled; or

3. The member has received disability benefits from this system and as of the date of disability:

4. The member is under age 60, the disability benefit is payable to age 65;

a. The member is 60-61, the disability benefit is payable for five years;

b. The member is 62-63, the disability benefit is payable for four years;

c.  The member is 64-65, the disability benefit is payable for three years;

d. The member is 66-68, the disability benefit is payable for two years; and

e. The member is 69 or older, the disability benefit is payable for one year.

Note: A line-of-duty disability benefit is not taxable until the member’s benefit is converted to a service retirement.

If a disability retiree regains health and is regularly employed by a non-participating employer, the disability allowance is reduced or suspended as a retiree’s earnings justify. If members who retired on disability accept employment, for the first five years of receiving disability benefits, they are required to file a sworn statement with our office each year regarding their gross earnings. If their benefit and gross earnings combined exceed 125% of the final average salary used to determine their disability benefit, their benefit is offset the following year.

If disability retirees return to work for a participating employer, the disability retirement is canceled. If members are employed with a participating employer during the period of disability, members don’t receive service credit for that employment.

Disability benefits are suspended while members receive workers’ compensation benefits.

The effective date of retirement is the first or 16^th day of the month following a member’s last day physically on the job. If members use other paid leave after the last day physically on the job, the effective date of retirement is the first or 16^th day of the month following the last day of paid leave. Members must separate from employment and the employer must certify the separation date online.