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Eligible Employees’ Retirement System members can choose to receive a reduced lifetime retirement benefit in exchange for a one-time lump sum payment. The payment is made when your retirement benefit is finalized.
Eligibility
To be eligible to choose a partial lump sum (PLS) payment, your county employer must first adopt a resolution to provide this option and you must:
- Be employed as a sheriff, undersheriff, deputy sheriff or county correction officer;
- Retire under a special 20- or 25-year plan;
- Have been eligible to retire with a service retirement benefit for at least one year prior to your actual date of retirement; and
- Retire with a service retirement (not a disability retirement).
Choosing a Lump Sum Payment (PLS)
If you are eligible for PLS, and you apply for service retirement using Retirement Online, you can select your PLS percentage and pension payment option when you file for retirement.
If you file for retirement using a paper application, if you are eligible for PLS, we will send you a special Option Election Form so you can choose a PLS payment along with the standard retirement option you want for your continuing lifetime benefit. You can also print this form from our Forms page.
Lump Sum Payment Amounts
A PLS payment is a percentage of the actuarial value of your retirement benefit at the time you retire. The chart below outlines the various percentages available to you based on the number of years you have been eligible to retire. Your Single Life Allowance will be reduced by the same percentage as the PLS option you have chosen. If you choose a different option, that option amount will be calculated based on your reduced Single Life Allowance.
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| Years You’ve Been Eligible to Retire | Available PLS Payment Options* |
|---|---|
| 1 | 5% |
| 2 | 5 or 10% |
| 3 | 5, 10 or 15% |
| 4 | 5, 10, 15 or 20% |
| 5 or more | 5, 10, 15, 20 or 25% |
| *A percentage of the value of your retirement benefit. | |
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For More Information
For more information, including the taxability of a PLS payment, please refer to our publication, Partial Lump Sum Payment at Retirement.
Disability Retirement Benefits — An Important Note
If you receive a PLS payment under a service retirement benefit and are later approved for a disability retirement benefit, the PLS payment must be repaid if you convert to the disability benefit. Additionally, severe tax consequences may apply in some situations.