To be legally retired, you must end your employment, live until your effective date of retirement, have no intent or agreement, express or implied, to return to TSERS service, and not perform any work for a TSERS employer during the six months immediately following your effective date of retirement.
If you work in any capacity for an employer under TSERS after you have officially retired and are receiving monthly benefits, you will be subject to the return-to-work provisions described below which may limit your earnings or require you to re-enroll as a contributing member of TSERS.
You will be subject to return-to-work provisions based on the nature of the particular work you perform for a TSERS employer, regardless of your job classification or your technical employment status (which may include being assigned to work for a TSERS employer by a private company such as a temporary staffing agency). As an active TSERS employee, you may not establish an agreement for post-retirement employment with a TSERS employer.
Visit Return to Work Laws for current annual allowance, FAQs and other information.
Overpayments
An overpayment of benefits means you have received a larger benefit than you were entitled to receive. Statutory provisions require us to recover overpayments. This includes, but is not limited to, the following methods of recovery:
- Deductions from a monthly benefit
- Monthly payment remittal
- Lump-sum payments
- Repayment from the NC Department of Revenue through the interception of tax refunds or potential lottery winnings
- Deductions from an active payroll check (required if you are employed by a TSERS employer and have received an overpayment from TSERS)
This page was last modified on 02/13/2025