Life Changes After Retirement
Retirees who experience an address, name, or major life change, must inform the ERS in writing. Requesting a change with the Commission does not make the change with the ERS. Below are the steps to notifying the ERS of significant life changes.
An Address Change can be made by:
- Completing a Notice of Change Form;
- Completing an address change form on the payment stub from the Northern Trust Company and mailing it directly to the ERS Office; or
- Write a letter to the ERS indicating the new address and the effective date of the change.
A Name Change can be made by:
- Writing a letter to the ERS requesting a name change and the effective date of the change AND
- Providing a copy of the marriage certificate, divorce decree, or legal separation document attached to the request.
Note: It may be necessary to complete a new Designation of Beneficiary Form with a Name Change.
All change requests must be submitted to the ERS before the 9th day of the month preceding the month of payment. Changes received after the 9th may not be processed until the following month.
All change requests must be signed by the retiree or authorized representative and the original provided to the ERS. Authorized Representatives should call the ERS Office for direction on submitting proper legal documentation, which must be approved by the ERS.
Domestic Relations Order
Generally, plan benefits are not assignable. However, the ERS does permit the assignment of benefits pursuant to a Domestic Relations Order (DRO). A DRO is a court order that determines how your retirement benefit will be divided. A DRO may also address how any post-retirement lump sum death benefits will be divided.
A proposed DRO may be submitted to the ERS for review and preliminary acceptance prior to submitting to the court for certification. The ERS will only honor final orders that comply with the plan provisions and are certified as true test copies.
Please refer to the Policy Regarding the Distribution of Benefits Under a Domestic Relations Order:
Working After Retirement
Former Merit System employees who are receiving benefits from the ERS are not eligible for concurrent employment in either a Merit System job or a non-Merit System job. Questions regarding this policy should be directed to the Commission’s Human Resources Director in the Department of Human Resources & Management.
