Benefit Payout Options

The Basic Benefit is a monthly benefit in retirement based on your age, total years of service credit and average final compensation. The unreduced benefit is calculated using a percentage of your average final compensation multiplied by your total years of service credit. This percentage is called a retirement multiplier. See VRS Retirement Plan 1 for more information about your benefit calculation. An early retirement reduction factor 479kb is applied to this amount if you retire early.

The Basic Benefit does not provide a continuation of a benefit to a survivor. However, your named beneficiary may be eligible for a lump-sum payment of any funds remaining in your member contribution account upon your death.

With this option, you elect to receive a lower monthly benefit during your so that your survivor can receive a monthly benefit after your death. You can name any living person as your survivor; you also can name more than one survivor. If you elect the Survivor Option, you will choose a whole percentage of your benefit, between 10 percent and 100 percent, to go to your survivor. Your benefit amount is based on this percentage, your age and the age of your survivor at retirement. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requirements may limit the percentage that can go to a non-spouse survivor.

You can name a new survivor or revert to the Basic Benefit if:

• Your survivor dies;
• Your survivor is your spouse and you divorce with fewer than 20 years of marriage;
• Your survivor is your spouse, you divorce after 20 or more years of marriage and your survivor dies, remarries or consents in writing to a change in the benefit; or
• You provide VRS a written consent from your survivor giving up claim to a benefit along with proof of your survivor’s good health.

Note: You can change the Survivor Option only once during your lifetime. In addition, if you are divorced and VRS has an Approved Domestic Relations Order (ADRO) on file, your benefit must be paid as directed by the ADRO.

If you work at least one year beyond the date you are eligible for an unreduced retirement benefit, you may elect to receive a one-time Partial Lump-Sum Option Payment (PLOP). This option reduces your monthly benefit. You can elect this option with the Basic Benefit or Survivor Option. If you elect the PLOP with the Basic Benefit, your beneficiary may be eligible for a lump-sum payment of any funds remaining in your member contribution account upon your death. However, because the PLOP is paid from your member contribution account, you may not have a balance upon your death. Or your balance may be lower than if you elected the Basic Benefit without the PLOP.

PLOP Amounts

You may elect up to three times the amount of your annual Basic Benefit. The amount depends on how long you work beyond your eligibility for an unreduced retirement as shown in the following table:

Qualifying for the PLOP

Prior service credit or granted service credit counts toward eligibility for unreduced retirement. However, to qualify for a PLOP, you must be working as an active member beyond the date you become eligible for an unreduced retirement benefit. Prior service credit or granted service credit cannot substitute for this active service.

Taxes and Rollovers

If you have the PLOP paid directly to you, VRS will deduct 20 percent for federal income tax and, if you live in Virginia, 4 percent for state income tax. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) also may impose an additional 10 percent tax penalty if you receive the PLOP before age 59½. You have the option to roll over your PLOP to the Virginia Cash Match Plan if you participate in the plan, an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or another qualified tax-deferred savings plan. For additional information, read the IRS 402(f) Special Tax Notice 28.5kb, contact your tax advisor or visit the Internal Revenue Service website.

With this option, you elect to increase your monthly benefit temporarily. The temporary increase begins when you retire and continues until an age you choose, between age 62 and your normal retirement age under Social Security. At that point, your VRS benefit is permanently reduced. You can elect this option with an unreduced benefit. If you are retiring with a reduced benefit, you can elect this option if:

• You are a state employee, teacher or political subdivision employee and are age 55 or older (age 60 or older if you are in Plan 2) and have at least five years of service credit; or

• You are covered under Plan 1 or Plan 2 of the State Police Officers' Retirement System (SPORS), the Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System (VaLORS) or VRS serving in a political subdivision position eligible for enhanced hazardous duty coverage, and are age 50 or older with at least five years of service credit.

To figure your benefit amount, VRS will add a percentage of your estimated monthly Social Security benefit to your monthly VRS benefit. The percentage is based on several factors, including your age at retirement and the age you want your increased benefit to permanently reduce. When the temporary increase ends, your benefit will be reduced by the estimated Social Security benefit used to determine your temporary increase. However, it will never be reduced by more than 50 percent of your Basic Benefit amount.

Important Note: This option does not affect the amount of your Social Security Benefit. You also may draw your Social Security when you are eligible for it, regardless of the age you choose for your VRS benefit to reduce. The Advance Pension Option does not provide a continuation of a benefit to a survivor. You also cannot elect the Advance Pension Option with other benefit payout options.

Estimating and Electing the Advance Pension Option