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Disability Program

PERA provides vested (5 years of service) members with a two-tier Disability Program: Short-term disability (STD) insurance provided by Standard Insurance Company and PERA disability retirement benefit. Based on your medical condition, you may qualify for either short-term disability or disability retirement.

Standard Insurance Company is the Disability Program administrator for both STD and disability retirement.

Requirements to Apply for the Disability Program

The following requirements must all be met if you are applying for the Disability Program:
Have five or more years of service credit, six months of which must be earned in the most recent period of PERA membership. (Some of this service credit may include previous PERA service forfeited when you withdrew a previous PERA member contribution account if you pay to reinstate such credit prior to termination of employment);
For Judicial Division members: You are eligible to apply regardless of the amount of your earned service credit.
For State Troopers and CBI Agents: You are eligible to apply regardless of the amount of your earned service credit if your disability is caused by an on-the job injury.
Not have withdrawn your member contribution account;
Apply for disability while a PERA member or within 90 days after termination of covered employment or a certified leave of absence; and
Not be eligible for service retirement.

Short-Term Disability (STD)

The goal of STD insurance is to help you return to work as soon as practical to your previous job or another job. However, an employer is not obligated to hold a position open for you beyond applicable state and federal requirements. Some employers may allow you to be on a leave of absence while you are on short-term disability; other employers may terminate your employment at some point after you leave work. If you are terminated by your employer, you may continue to receive STD as long as you do not refund your PERA member contribution account.

If you are approved for STD, Standard will provide reasonable income replacement and rehabilitation after you have been disabled for 60 days. The maximum payment period is 22 months, and the maximum income replacement is 60% of your predisability, PERA-includable earnings.

STD Medical Standard

Under the Disability Program, the requirements for short-term disability include the following:
Your medical condition prevents you from performing the essential functions of your job with reasonable accommodation as required by federal law;
You are medically unable to earn 75% of your predisability earnings from PERA-covered employment from any job given your existing education, training, and experience;
You may be helped by vocational rehabilitation and retraining; and
You are not totally and permanently medically incapacitated from regular and substantial gainful employment.

Disability Retirement

The goal of disability retirement is to provide you with income if you are not able to work and are not expected to recover or be rehabilitated or retrained. The benefit amount is based on your highest average salary and earned, purchased, and in some cases, projected service credit. This monthly benefit continues as long as you remain unable to engage in regular and substantial gainful employment because of your medical condition. You must terminate PERA-covered employment to receive benefits.

Disability Retirement Medical Standard

Under the Disability Program, the disability retirement requirements include the following:
  • Your medical condition prevents you from engaging in any regular and substantial gainful employment;
  • You are medically unable to earn 75% of your predisability earnings from PERA-covered employment from any job for which you are or could be educated or trained; 
  • You are totally and permanently incapacitated and are not reasonably expected to recover from your disabling medical condition; and,
  • The disabling condition is not the result of an intentionally self-inflicted injury.

    •  View, print or order the PERA Disability Program booklet, which includes an application.

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