Retirement - General

The following information applies to employees who were ERS members on August 31, 2009.

To be eligible to retire:

• your service credit must be established (not withdrawn) with ERS at the time of retirement, and
• you must be at least age 60 with a minimum of five years of service credit.

You may retire under the rule of 80 if your years and months of service credit (at least five years) and your years and months of age equal or exceed 80.

Use the quick calculator to see how your service and age work together to make you eligible for a monthly ERS retirement benefit and health insurance. (if you have a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO), service from another retirement system, or would like an estimate including withdrawn service credit, you will not be able to use the quick calculator). 

For additional information visit: Am I eligible to retire? or sign into your account to view your first eligible retirement date.

Your gross monthly Standard annuity amount is calculated by multiplying your years and months of service by 2.3% per year (2.8% for 20 years or more of CPO service), and then multiplying the product of this by your average salary. The calculation of average salary includes base pay, longevity pay, Benefit Replacement Pay (BRP) and hazardous duty pay, if applicable. If you were hired before September 1, 2009 and left your account at ERS, we use the average of your highest 36 months of salary.

If you were hired on or after September 1, 2009, we use the average of your highest 48 months of salary. If you were hired on or after September 1, 2013, we use the average of your highest 60 months of salary.

Sign into your ERS account to generate a personalized retirement estimate.

You must have at least 10 years of service credit to be eligible for insurance benefits.

If you began work before September 1, 2001, at least three of those years must have been with an agency in the Texas Employees Group Benefits Program (GBP). If you began work on or after September 1, 2001, at least 10 years must be with an agency in the GBP. Retiree insurance benefits will start at age 65, unless you retire under the Rule of 80 or under LECOS rules.

Note about insurance: Health and other insurance benefits for employees and retirees are subject to change based on available State funding. The Texas Legislature determines the level of funding for such benefits and has no continuing obligation to provide those benefits beyond each fiscal year.

You can increase your service credit by purchasing any of the following service credit that is applicable to your account:

• Withdrawn/Refunded Service,
• Military Service,
• Waiting Period Service, and/or
• Additional Service Credit.

You can request the cost for any service applicable to your account.
Learn more about purchasing service through a direct rollover.  
 

You can use service from an employer in the Proportionate Retirement Program (PRP) to qualify for retirement. Once your service has been verified and you have received an acknowledgment from ERS, it is combined with your ERS service credit at retirement to determine eligibility. The following retirement systems participate in the PRP:

• City of Austin Police Retirement System,
• City of Austin Retirement System,
• El Paso City Employees' Pension Fund,
• El Paso Firemen & Policemen's Pension Fund,
• ERS,
• Judicial Retirement System of Texas Plan I,
• Judicial Retirement System of Texas Plan II,
• Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS),
• Texas County and District Retirement System (TCDRS), and
• Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS).
• You may transfer TRS service to ERS when you apply for retirement to increase your service credit.

If you established service with a Texas Governmental Entity (TGE) and certified that service with ERS by December 31, 2005, up to 60 months of TGE service can be used to meet eligibility for retirement under the Rule of 80 before you reach age 60 Remember, TGE service cannot be used in conjunction with PRP service from another retirement system..
 

If you retire directly from state employment, you can get service credit for both your unused sick and annual leave. ERS figures both of these accounts separately. The first 160 hours of leave gives you one month of service credit. Additional fractions of 160 hours are counted as full months of service credit. You may use this type of service credit to: 

• satisfy requirements for retirement, including retirement under the Rule of 80, 
• increase your retirement payment, and 
• satisfy requirements for GBP insurance as a retiree. 

For additional information visit the Unused Sick and Annual Leave page.

 

Call ERS to start the retirement process no more than 90 days before your expected retirement date, which is always the last day of the month.

ERS will mail or email you a retirement acceptance form with options you elect over the phone. Sign the form and have it notarized. Return it to ERS, along with the other requested documents, before your expected retirement date.

Visit the Retirement Planning section of the website for more details and documents you should have when send the acceptance form to ERS.

No. Your retirement packet is personalized to include your retirement selections.

Your first step is to create your own personalized retirement estimate online and review your options. After you have made your decision, you must call ERS or schedule an appointment with a retirement counselor regarding your retirement selections. A retirement packet will then be sent to you with your selections.

No. It is your responsibility to notify your employer that you are retiring. You must be off payroll (including a leave of absence status) by your retirement date. If you are on payroll the month following your retirement date, your retirement will be canceled.

Yes. A confirmation will be sent to your email address on file when all your retirement documents are approved. If you do not have an email address on file, your confirmation will be mailed to your home address on file.

You may designate whomever you choose as beneficiary to receive your Active Account Death Benefit and/or life insurance benefits. 

A beneficiary can be a spouse, child, sibling, relative, a friend, or even a charity/organization. When designating a beneficiary for your annuity option at retirement, you may only choose one person as beneficiary if you are electing a Retiree's and Survivor's Lifetime option, as the annuity amount will be based on the employee's age, and beneficiary's age at retirement.

You can log into your ERS account to designate your beneficiary(ies) or create a retirement estimate.

It is paid the last business day of the month following your retirement date.

Unless you participate through COBRA, your TexFlex health care account will be closed on your retirement date. You will only be able to submit claims for expenses you incurred before your retirement date. 

If you have a TexFlex debit card, the card is deactivated on the last day of the month in which your employment ends.

Once you leave employment, you can no longer contribute directly to your Texa$aver 401(k) / 457 Plan. You can roll another employer's 401(k), 401(a), 403(b), or eligible governmental 457 account into either the Texa$aver 401(k) / 457 Plan. You can also set up a distribution schedule. Contact Texa$aver toll-free at (800) 634-5091 for more information.