Applying for Disability Retirement

Retirement Date and Monthly Benefit Payments

The effective date of disability retirement is the first of the month. To begin receiving your benefit, you must have a bona fide break in service from all covered and non-covered employment of at least one full calendar month from this date. Your benefit will begin on the first of the month following your effective date of disability retirement.

Forms and Documents

Spend time on your application. Review the disability retirement forms carefully and ensure you have completed and attached all required information. Insufficient or missing information will delay the processing of your application and may even lead to your application being denied. If you need help applying for disability retirement, your human resource office, a family member or an individual authorized to act on your behalf, such as an agent named under a power of attorney or a legal guardian, may assist you. For more information, call VRS at 888-827-3847.

Your application must include:

• Application for Disability Retirement (VRS-6). On the VRS-6, you provide basic information, including the benefit payout option you wish to elect. You complete Parts A through D. If you are married or separated, your spouse must complete the spouse certification section and sign on or after the date you sign the application. In addition, be sure to sign the Informed Consent and Authorization form.
• Explanation of Disability (VRS-6A). The VRS-6A allows you to provide additional information in support of your application and is required by the VRS Medical Board. The information on this form and supporting documentation include:
  • Job duties and other outside activities you no longer can perform because of your disability.
  • Whether you have been hospitalized or treated at a clinic for your condition.
  • Contact information for all health care professionals you are seeing for your disability.
• Physician’s Report (VRS-6B). Each health care professional you list on the VRS-6A must complete the VRS-6B and attach all relevant objective medical evidence.
• Request for Income Tax Withholding (VRS-15). Submit this form if you are applying for non-work-related disability retirement. If you are applying for work-related disability retirement, you will be asked to submit this form if you will be receiving the VRS formula amount. This form is not required if you will be receiving the work-related guaranteed benefit; as with workers’ compensation benefits, this benefit is tax-exempt.
• Authorization for Direct Deposit of Monthly Benefit (VRS-57). The VRS-57 authorizes VRS to deposit your monthly benefit electronically to the financial institution you designate on the form. Tape a voided check to this form before including it with your application.

Other details:

• Register or log in to myVRS to name or update your beneficiaries.
• Request for Estimate of Disability Retirement Benefits (VRS-6C) (optional). You or your employer can create a disability retirement estimate through myVRS instead of submitting this form.
• If you are a state employee, submit State Health Benefits Program Enrollment Form for Retirees, Survivors and LTD Participants (A10601). You must submit this form with your disability retirement application or within 31 days of your retirement date, whether you are electing or waiving coverage. Note that if you waive state health insurance coverage, you cannot enroll in the program at a later date. For more information about the program, visit the Department of Human Resource Management website.
• If you are an employee of a school division or a political subdivision, contact your human resource office about retiree health insurance your employer may offer.
• Log in to your myVRS account to manage your health insurance credit requests or complete the Request for Health Insurance Credit (VRS-45), if VRS will not be deducting retiree health insurance premiums from your monthly benefit, or if you have eligible health insurance coverage in addition to your employer-sponsored coverage. If VRS will be deducting premiums, you do not need to apply for it; VRS will apply the credit automatically to your benefit payment.

Service Retirement Pending Approval of Disability Retirement

If you are eligible for service retirement when you apply for disability retirement, it may be to your advantage to apply for both:

• If you apply for non-work-related disability retirement, VRS can also process your service retirement application. If your disability retirement application is denied, you can begin receiving a service retirement benefit, and it will continue even if you decide to appeal the denial.
• If you apply for work-related disability retirement, VRS cannot process your service retirement application while your disability retirement application is pending. However, if your disability retirement application is denied and all appeals are exhausted, the service retirement application will be processed and the retirement date and benefit payout option you elect on your service retirement application will be honored.

Applying for Service Retirement

Log in to myVRS to apply online (if eligible) or complete the Application for Service Retirement (VRS-5). You can choose to receive any of the four benefit payout options available. However, if you choose the Advance Pension Option or the Partial Lump Sum Option, VRS will pay a basic benefit to you while your disability retirement application is pending.

Is Disability Retirement Your Best Option?

Learn more about Disability Retirement eligibility and other retirement options.