Retirement Eligibility & Timing

Before you can retire and begin receiving your SCERS benefit, you must meet the minimum eligibility requirements for service retirement. These requirements vary depending on your membership category and tier, which is based on your hire date and employer and membership category. 

This section explains when you’re eligible to retire and how timing can affect your benefit amount. 

Service Retirement Requirements

To retire and receive a monthly benefit, you must meet both of the following conditions:

  1. You are vested
    • Typically means 5 years of full-time service credit
    • You are also vested if you reach age 70, or qualify through reciprocity
  2. You meet your category and tier minimum age requirement
    • Each category and tier has its own rules for retirement

Early Retirement

You can choose to retire as soon as you reach the minimum retirement age for your category and tier; however, your benefit will be lower compared to waiting until you reach your maximum age factor.

Early retirement is permanent—your base benefit amount will not increase once you retire, though you may be eligible for cost of living adjustments. 

Timing Considerations

Here are a few things to think about when choosing your retirement date:

  • Your retirement date can be no earlier than the day after your last day on payroll
  • Your benefit age factor increases at each quarter age if you have not yet reached your maximum age factor
  • If you have reciprocity, you must retire on the same date with all reciprocal retirement systems
  • If you have unused sick leave, it may be converted to service credit and can slightly increase your benefit
  • Benefits are paid in arrears, meaning retirement benefits are paid on the last business day of each month and represent payment for that month
  • Your first retirement check may include a one-time prorated amount in addition to your monthly benefit amount. This prorated amount accounts for the days that you were retired preceding your first full month of retirement.  

Unused Sick Leave

When you retire from SCERS, your accumulated sick leave balance at retirement is converted to additional retirement Service Credit at no cost to you. However, some SCERS members are eligible, based on the terms of their employment, to cash out a portion of their unused sick leave at retirement. Only the balance of accumulated sick leave after cash-out will be converted to additional retirement Service Credit.

Members who are eligible to cash out a portion of their unused sick leave should:

  • Notify SCERS of their arrangements by completing SCERS’ Disposition of Accrued Sick Leave (Form 6154);
  • Contact their payroll clerk to request a cash-out of sick leave; and
  • Must retire from SCERS the day after separating from service.

You can schedule your retirement date for any day of the month, but benefits are always paid monthly and prorated as needed.