No, the temporary benefit is not available to those who elect early retirement. You will receive a temporary benefit only if you are a general state employee who is younger than the age of 62 and you retire under normal retirement with the MSEP 2000 (“Rule of 80”) or MSEP 2011 (“Rule of 90”).

If you retire under the "Rule of 80" (MSEP 2000) or the "Rule of 90" (MSEP 2011), in addition to your base benefit, the temporary benefit provides you with an additional benefit until age 62. The formula for the temporary benefit is: Final Average Pay (FAP) x .008 (Multiplier) x Credited Service = Temporary Benefit. At age 62, the temporary benefit ends but your base benefit continues.

No, we are not aware of any legislative proposals related to a “75 and out” retirement. MOSERS administers retirement benefits, but we do not have the authority to change plan provisions. Any change to the Rule of 80/”80 & Out” (or any other state employee pension provisions) would require a change in the law. Anytime the Missouri General Assembly is in session, you can follow any bills affecting MOSERS on our Legislation page.

NORMAL RETIREMENT ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS for General State Employees

MSEP Members

• Age 65 + 5 years of service
• Age 60 + 15 years of service
• “Rule of 80” – (at least age 48) when age + years of service = 80 or more

MSEP 2000 Members

• Age 62 + 5 years of service
• “Rule of 80” – (at least age 48) when age + years of service = 80 or more

MSEP 2011 Members

• Age 67 + 5 years of service
• “Rule of 90” – (at least age 55) when age + years of service = 90 or more at time of termination

Yes. General state employees who retire under MSEP 2000 or MSEP 2011, who are eligible for the temporary benefit, will continue to receive an annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) on their continuing base benefit after their temporary benefit ends. 

Any COLAs associated to the temporary benefit, and the temporary benefit itself, will end directly after the member’s 62^nd birthday. To learn more, see our Cost-of-Living Adjustments page. 

No. The law does not allow you to purchase or transfer service from another state to MOSERS.

Depending upon your plan membership (MSEP, MSEP 2000, or MSEP 2011), once you are vested, you may be able to purchase or transfer service acquired in the state of Missouri. With the exception of prior military service, it must be full-time, nonfederal, public (government) employment, and rendered in Missouri, such as the following types of service:

• Service with MODOT or the Missouri Highway Patrol
• Service with a city, county, or public school in Missouri
• Prior military service

Purchasing or transferring service may increase your pension benefit, make you eligible for retirement sooner, or both. For more information contact a MOSERS benefit counselor and see

Purchasing and Transferring Service Guide for MSEP (Closed Plan) Members

Purchasing and Transferring Service Guide for MSEP 2000 Members

Purchasing and Transferring Service Guide for MSEP 2011 Members

For potential part-time employment to count toward your future pension benefit, it must be in a benefit-eligible position. It is the responsibility of the employer, not MOSERS, to determine if a position is eligible for MOSERS benefits. Generally speaking, an employee must work in a position normally requiring at least 1,040 hours per year to qualify for MOSERS benefits. 

Pension benefits for general state employees are calculated using the formula: Final Average Pay (FAP) x Multiplier x Credited Service = Monthly Base Benefit

When we calculate your future pension benefit, we would not “convert it to 50%”. If you worked for three years in a benefit-eligible position, you would accrue an additional three years of service. When you retire, we will look at your entire MOSERS-covered pay history (excluding any time during a BackDROP period) and find your highest 36 consecutive months of pay. For most members, that occurs during their final three years but not in all situations. Your question is a good example of when a member’s “high 36” may not be during their last three years.

Once your potential employer has notified you if it is a benefit-eligible position or not, we encourage you to contact a MOSERS benefit counselor to further discuss your specific situation.

All benefit provisions are outlined in law and MOSERS must administer benefits according to the law. In 2010, the Missouri General Assembly made changes to pension plans including the elimination of BackDROP for newer state employees. However, state employees retained the valuable defined benefit plan structure, which provides lifetime retirement benefits. BackDROP is available only to general state employees in MSEP and MSEP 2000. You can track proposed legislative changes on our Legislation page when the General Assembly is in session from January through mid-May.

If you were not vested (did not have at least 5 years of service) when you left state employment, you must complete 12 continuous months of benefit-eligible employment.

Additionally, if you were a member of MSEP 2011 and took a refund of contributions, you would need to return any refunded contributions plus interest to restore your past service credit.

See Returning to State Employment and MOSERS Covered Employers for more information. Please feel free to contact a MOSERS benefit counselor at (800) 827-1063 (toll-free) or (573) 632-6100 (in Jefferson City) to discuss your individual situation. 

There must be one entire month between the date we receive your application and your retirement date. Using your example, if your retirement date is October 1, your Retirement Application is due no later than August 31 and your Retirement Election Form is due no later than September 30. You can submit your retirement application as early as 4 months (120 days) prior to your retirement date.

Visit our Ready to Retire page to view the table showing all due dates. You can also find the due dates on p. 6 of the Retirement Guide along with step-by-step instructions for the retirement process. We also encourage you to participate in a Ready to Retire Webinar or Seminar. 

You do not need to notify MOSERS of any decisions about BackDROP until you are completing the retirement process. You can just keep working. Also, you are not required to take BackDROP, regardless of how long you work beyond normal retirement eligibility. We encourage you to sign up for a Ready to Retire seminar or webinar where we will explain the retirement process and BackDROP in more detail. If you register and provide an anticipated retirement date at least two years beyond your normal retirement eligibility date, we will provide benefit estimates with and without BackDROP.

Please note that BackDROP is available only to general state employees in MSEP or MSEP 2000. To be eligible for BackDROP, you must continue working in a MOSERS benefit-eligible position for at least two years beyond your normal retirement eligibility.

If you are actively employed as a state employee, you cannot opt-out or withdraw any funds from your MOSERS defined benefit retirement plan. If you participate in MO Deferred Comp (the supplemental savings program), you may contact them at (800) 392-0925 or (573) 893-1053 to ask about making an emergency withdrawal from your savings.

Members of MSEP 2011 or the Judicial Plan 2011 who leave state employment may choose to either request a refund of their employee contributions (if they don’t anticipate returning to state employment) or leave their contributions with MOSERS (if they do anticipate returning to state employment).

Please note that, there is a 90-day waiting period and if you take a refund, you will forfeit all your credited service. Alternatively, you may leave your 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. To learn more, please visit our Refund of Employee Contributions page. 

If you saved money with the MO Deferred Comp Plan while employed with the state, you do have the option to withdraw your 457 savings penalty-free upon leaving state service or you may roll your savings balance to another qualified retirement savings plan. Please visit www.modeferredcomp.org for more information.

We encourage you to contact a tax professional or financial advisor for advice specific to your situation.