TSERS Disability Quick Reference

As a North Carolina disability benefit recipient, there are several requirements that you must follow to obtain and maintain your benefits. The following Disability Quick Reference Guide identifies the steps and materials needed throughout the process.

It is important that you complete the forms in their entirety, or respond to requests from the North Carolina Retirement Systems so that your disability benefits are processed in a timely manner, and to guard against any interruption of disability benefits.

Click here for a printed version of the quick reference below

	Short-Term/Preliminary Long-Term	Extended Short-Term	Long-Term	State Disability Retirement
Eligibility	1 year membership earned within 36 months preceding disability Doctor must certify disability on or prior to last day worked or exhausted leave Can be temporary or permanent disability	1 year membership earned within last 36 months prior to end of short-term disability period Doctor must certify disability on or prior to last day worked or exhausted leave Must be temporarily disabled Employee must go through short-term disability period	5 years membership earned within 96 months prior to exhaustion of leave or salary continuation. Doctor must certify disability on or prior to last day worked or exhausted leave. Must be permanently disabled. Member cannot be eligible for unreduced service retirement.	Member must be vested as of 7/1/82 or 1/1/88 Doctor must certify disability on or prior to last day worked or exhausted leave. Must be permanently disabled. If eligible for service retirement, member must be vested as of 7/1/82 date for state disability retirement.
Time Frame to Apply	Within 365 days following the first day of the 60-day waiting period	NONE	Within 180 days from end of short-term or 180 days from end of temporary total Workers' Compensation	NONE but effective retirement date is in accordance with filing requirements
Calculation of Benefit	50% of salary as of last day worked (monthly maximum benefit of $3,000), reduced by certain offsets	50% of salary (monthly maximum benefit of $3,000), reduced by certain offsets	65% of salary (monthly maximum benefit of $3,900), reduced by certain offsets; $10 monthly minimum	Based on average final compensation (AFC), accrual factor, total creditable service and projected service
Timeframe Benefits are Paid	Maximum of 365 days after 60-day waiting period; paid by employer with proper certification from doctor (Form 703 monthly certification unless preliminary long-term determination)	Maximum of 365 days as approved by Medical Board (Paid by N.C. Retirement Systems)	Until member is eligible for an unreduced service retirement or otherwise no longer meets requirements for benefits¹ ^{¹Limit of 36 payments if not vested prior to 8/1/07 unless receiving Social Security disability benefits.}	Lifetime [Refer to G.S. §135-5(c)
Application Process	Form 700 Form 701 A current Form 7A Form 703 (Optional for short-term and preliminary long-term) Job Description Supporting medical documentation within six months	Form 700 Form 704 A current Form 7A Form 711 Job Description Copy of Form 701 Copy of Form 703if member was not approved for short-term through the Retirement Systems Division Supporting medical documentation within six months	Form 700 Form 704 A current Form 7A Form 711 Copy of Form 701 Form 703 Job Description (if member was approved for short-term through the Retirement Systems Division, then the Division should already have these documents) Supporting medical documentation within six months	Form 7 A current Form 7A Job Description Supporting medical documentation within six months
Benefit Offsets	Temporary Total Disability Benefits through Workers' Compensation Veterans Administration (same disability) Excess earnings (the amount a member earns over the earnable allowance)	Temporary Total Disability Benefits through Workers' Compensation Veterans Administration (same disability) Excess earnings (the amount a member earns over the earnable allowance)	Social Security benefits 36-month hypothetical Social Security offset² Temporary Total Disability Benefits through Workers' Compensation Veterans Administration (same disability) Railroad Retirement Excess earnings (the amount a member earns over the earnable allowance) ^{²If vested prior to 8/1/07.}	Excess earnings (the amount a member earns over the earnable allowance)
Earnable Allowance	Monthly (up to the amount of short-term)	Monthly (up to the amount of extended short-term benefit)	Monthly (difference between 100% salary and adjusted gross long-term before any offsets	Annually
Re-Exams (determined by Medical Board)	NONE	NONE	Reviewed yearly at the discretion of the Medical Board	Reviewed yearly at the discretion of the Medical Board

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