Once you are vested (5 years of service for general state employees), you are eligible to receive a future pension benefit from MOSERS, even if you leave state employment. Once you reach retirement age and complete the retirement process, you will receive a monthly pension payment for your lifetime.

You cannot increase your 4% employee contributions that go into the MOSERS trust fund, but you can certainly increase the amount of supplemental savings that you put in MO Deferred Comp. For many state employees, income in retirement comes from three sources:

1. Your MOSERS defined benefit pension (based on your years of service and final average pay)
2. Social Security retirement benefits
3. Supplemental personal savings, such as with MO Deferred Comp

Another thing to consider is that, even if you aren’t vested, you may leave your employee contributions with the System if you think you might return to work for the state at some point in the future and would like for those years of service to count toward an eventual retirement benefit.  

However, if you leave state employment, you may request a refund of your employee contributions plus any credited interest. By law, there is a 90-day waiting period before we can issue a refund. By taking a refund, your forfeit all your credited service. You can log in to myMOSERS and find your total employee contributions plus any interest. Once logged in, click on the Personal Information tab. Then, click on Contribution Calculator. Scroll all the way to the bottom for your accumulated balance. If you are unable to log in, you may contact a MOSERS benefit counselor for your balance. See our Employee Contributions brochure for more information.

It is the responsibility of your employer, not MOSERS, to determine if the position you are working in is a MOSERS benefit-eligible position. Generally speaking, an employee must work in a position normally requiring at least 1,040 hours per year to qualify for MOSERS benefits. If your employer determines that the position is not benefit-eligible and you have followed the termination and reemployment rules outlined below, you may work in that position and still get your MOSERS pension benefits.

Termination and Reemployment Rules

Before receiving a benefit payment from MOSERS, IRS rules require a “bona fide termination” of your employment. For purposes of MOSERS Board Rules, a "bona fide termination" occurs when:

• You have completely severed employment;
• You have not entered into a prearranged agreement (written or oral), prior to retirement, with the State of Missouri or any MOSERS-covered employer for subsequent employment on any basis (full-time, part-time, or other); and
• You are not subsequently employed with the State of Missouri or any MOSERS-covered employer on any basis (full-time, part-time, or other) within 30 days after your employment with your prior employer has ended.

See FAQs on Termination and Reemployment Rules and a flyer on Termination and Reemployment Rules for more information.

Reemployment

Upon meeting the termination and reemployment rules, you may return to work and continue receiving your monthly pension payment, as long as your position is not a MOSERS or MoDOT and Patrol Employees’ Retirement System (MPERS) benefit-eligible position.

If you return to work for the state of Missouri in a MOSERS or MPERS benefit-eligible position:

• Your monthly pension payment will stop.
• Depending on various factors (your plan, how long you work, etc.), you may or may not earn additional credited service during reemployment.
• When you retire again, your monthly pension payment will equal the amount you were receiving when you returned to work plus any additional benefit you may have earned during reemployment.

Under the MSEP 2000, you would not be eligible for early retirement and to receive benefits until at least the age of 57.

Minimum Requirements for Early Retirement by Plan:

MSEP:

Age 55 with 10 years of service

MSEP 2000:

Age 57 with 5 years of service

MSEP 2011:

Age 62 with 5 years of service

If you elect early retirement, your base benefit will be reduced by one-half of one percent (.005) for each month your age at retirement is younger than your normal retirement age. The formula for calculating the early retirement reduction factor is:  1 – (Months Retiring Early x .005) = Early Retirement Factor.

View Pension Plans on our website for more information including details on normal (unreduced) retirement eligibility for MSEP, MSEP 2000, and MSEP 2011. 

No, your benefit will not be subject to reduction if you are vested, leave service, then retire at age 67. (The reduction you are referring to is for “early retirement” and is a reduction of ½ of 1% (.005) off your base benefit for each month your age is younger than normal retirement.)

However, if you continue working until you are 67, then your benefit would ultimately be higher because you would have more service. When you apply for retirement, your base benefit will be calculated using a formula that takes into account your final average pay and your credited service. For a more in-depth look at which option may be best for you, we encourage you to use our Comparison Calculator to compare various scenarios over time or contact one of our benefit counselors.

Benefit counselors are available:

Monday - Friday
8:00 am - 12:00 pm
1:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Contact Us:

(800) 827-1063 toll-free
(573) 632-6100 in Jefferson City