Imperial County Employees' Retirement System

Deferred Retirement

DEFERRED RETIREMENT RECIPROCAL BENEFITS WITH ANOTHER RETIREMENT SYSTEM:

Certain reciprocal benefits are available to members who accept employment with (a) State of California, (b) another county under the 1937 Act County Employees' Retirement Law, (c) any public agency that contracts for retirement coverage under the Public Employees' Retirement System (P.E.R.S.), (d) State Teachers Retirement System (S.T.R.S.) if the member elects to take a deferred retirement and enters the second retirement system within 180 days of termination of membership in the first system; the advantages a member will have under reciprocity are:

The rate of contribution to the second system is based on their age at entry into the first system (usually lower than it otherwise would be) unless the system has a single rate for their employees.
When a member retires from both systems concurrently the retirement allowance from Imperial County will be based on the highest average (1 year) earnable compensation in either system.
Members may combine the service in both systems to meet the minimum requirements for service retirement, disability retirement and death benefit.

Any member desiring to take advantage of these benefits is requested to contact the Retirement Office leaving County service in order to sign an application and give information concerning the new employment.

1937 Act Counties:

Alameda, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Santa Barbara, Contra Costa, Marin, San Bernardino, Stanislaus, Fresno, Mendocino, San Diego, Sonoma, Imperial, Merced, San Joaquin, Tulare, Kern, Orange, San Mateo, Ventura.

Employment by S.T.R.S.:

State of California Teachers' Retirement System.

Employment covered by P.E.R.S.:

State of California and contracting agencies.
San Luis Obispo County Pension Trust.

RETROACTIVE RECIPROCITY:

Any member who left County service on or before December 31, 1971 and became a member of another "1937 Act" system or "P.E.R.S." prior to January 1, 1978, may retroactively establish reciprocity. For further information, contact the Retirement Office.

DEFERRED RETIREMENT:

Members terminating County service who have completed five years of service, may elect in writing within 180 days of termination of employment, to leave their accumulated contributions with the retirement system and take a deferred retirement to become effective either:

Upon the option of the member, at any time at which he/she could have retired had he/she remained in County service in a full-time position, or
Not later than the first day of the month following that in which he/she attains the applicable compulsory retirement age, if any.
A member on deferred retirement without reciprocal benefits must retire by April 1st of the year following the year in which the member attains age 70½. (Gov't Code Section 31706)

In the event of the member's death before receiving a retirement allowance, the contributions, with interest, will be paid to their beneficiary. Members may rescind their request for deferred retirement prior to the effective date of their retirement and withdraw their accumulated contributions, provided they have not elected to receive reciprocal benefits in another retirement system.