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SERS disability benefits: occupational, nonoccupational and temporary rules for tier 1 members
Summary
Presenter summarized the three disability benefit types, eligibility criteria (workers' comp coordination for occupational, 18 months credited service for nonocc/temporary), benefit levels (up to 75% of FAC for occupational) and procedural steps for filing claims with workers' comp and SERS.
The workshop covered SERS disability options in detail. Unidentified Speaker (SERS presenter) defined three disability categories (occupational, nonoccupational and temporary) and said occupational disabilities are work‑related injuries or illnesses that require a workers' compensation claim and SERS filings; SERS may provide benefits up to 75% of final average compensation (FAC) with offsets applied against workers' compensation payments.
For temporary or nonoccupational disability, the presenter said members must generally be denied workers' compensation or have filed an appeal/adjustment and must have at least 18 months of credited service (SURS or TRS time may be used to meet that threshold in some cases). He described procedural requirements — filing with the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission when applicable, submitting all required SERS forms, and that nonoccupational disability generally requires exhausting sick leave and a medical determination of disability.
The presenter also reviewed duration rules tied to service credit and age (for example, benefits payable up to 5 years in some circumstances when disability begins after age 60) and cautioned members that substantial gainful activity or self‑employment income exceeding SSA thresholds can suspend or terminate SERS disability benefits.
He closed by advising members to file both workers' compensation and SERS paperwork (a two‑step process) and to contact SERS if they have questions about how a workers' comp settlement or appeal interacts with SERS disability eligibility.
