1. Accumulated Member Contributions

The total of all contributions made by members, plus interest earned on such contributions (8% for Tiers 1 and 2; 5% for Tiers 3 and 4), compounded annually.

  1. Active Service

Service rendered while the employee is on the payroll and being paid by the City of New York or a Participating Employer.

  1. Additional Member Contributions (AMCs)

Contributions that are made by members in addition to the basic member contributions of 3% of Wages, and are required to be paid each payroll period by Participants in any one of the Special Programs described in this document. The AMC percentages differ in each Special Program and all AMCs are maintained in the Retirement Reserve Fund, an account separate from the Accumulated Member Contributions.

  1. Allowable Correction Service

Service as a member rendered in the uniformed-force of the New York City (NYC) Department of Correction.

  1. Allowable Sanitation Service

Credited Service rendered in any of the following:

  1. Uniformed-force of the NYC Department of Sanitation
  2. Another uniformed-force (such as NYC Housing Police, NYC Transit Police or NYC Department of Correction) immediately prior to becoming a member of the uniformed-force of the NYC Department of Sanitation
  3. The uniformed-force of the NYC Police or Fire Departments immediately prior to becoming a member of the uniformed-force of the NYC Department of Sanitation, if service was transferred to NYCERS pursuant to Section 43 of the RSSL
  4. Allowable Service as a Dispatcher Member

Service as a Dispatcher Member: service rendered by a member of NYCERS while employed by the City of New York as a Fire Alarm Dispatcher, Supervising Fire Alarm Dispatcher, levels 1 and 2, Director of Dispatch Operations or Deputy Director of Dispatch Operations, and All service in the following NYC Civil Service titles: Chief Fire Alarm Dispatcher, Administrative Fire Alarm Dispatcher, Bus Operator (Transit), Train Dispatcher (Transit), Firefighter, Police Officer, Correction Officer, Fire Marshal, Probation Officer, Police Communications Technician, Supervising Police Communications Technician, Principal Police Communications Technician, Police Administrative Aide, Senior Police Administrative Aide, Emergency Medical Technician, Advanced Emergency Medical Technician, Emergency Medical Service Specialist, levels 1 and 2, Fire Prevention Inspector, Fire Protection Inspector, Senior Fire Prevention Inspector, Principal Fire Prevention Inspector, Associate Fire Protection Inspector, County Detective, Detective (NYPD), Detective Investigator, Senior Detective Investigator, Deputy Sheriff, Senior Deputy Sheriff, Inspector of Fire Alarm Boxes, Radio Operator, Radio Repair Technician, Supervisor of Radio Repair Operations, Taxi and Limousine Inspector, Senior Taxi and Limousine Inspector, Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Officer, and a member of NYCERS who is employed by the City of New York in a title whose duties require the supervision of employees whose Civil Service title is included above.

  1. Allowable Service as an EMT Member

All service as an EMT Member: service rendered by a member of NYCERS while employed by the City of New York or the NYC Health & Hospitals Corporation in a title whose duties are those of an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), or Advanced EMT (AEMT) or in a title whose duties require the supervision of employees whose duties are those of an EMT or AEMT, And all service while employed by the City of New York or the New York City Health & Hospitals Corporation in the title Motor Vehicle Operator.

  1. Allowable Service in the Transit Authority

Credited Service rendered in the operating-force of the NYC Transit Authority and some managerial service.

  1. Annuity

Payments made to Tiers 1 and 2 retirees derived from their Accumulated Member Contributions.

  1. Basic Tier 4 Plan (62/5 Plan)

The 62/5 Plan is an Age 62 - five years of Credited Service plan. This plan is for employees of the City of New York or a Participating Employer who became a member of NYCERS after July 26, 1976 but prior to June 29, 1995, and who did not elect to participate in the 55/25 Program.

Benefits available to Tier 4 members, excluding the benefits that are available only to Participants in one of the Special Programs. A Participant in one of the Special Programs who does not meet all of the qualifications for a benefit in his or her Special Program may still qualify for a benefit under the Basic Tier 4 Plan. Participants in Special Programs are still always eligible for other Basic Tier 4 benefits that are not provided for in their Program such as Survivor Benefits, Disability Retirement Benefits, etc.

  1. Career-Pension-Plan Position

Any position in City service other than a Transit operating-force position, a position in the uniformed-force of the NYC Department of Sanitation, or the uniformed-force of the NYC Department of Correction.

  1. Credited Service

Includes: Service rendered while a member of NYCERS; Service rendered while a member of another retirement system within New York City or New York State and transferred to NYCERS; Service purchased under applicable laws and rules for Buy-Back, which can include:

  1. Military Service

  2. Part-time Service

  3. Previous Service

  4. Pre-Membership Service

  5. Previous Part-time Service

  6. Designated Beneficiary

    7. Any person designated by a member, by filing a properly completed form with NYCERS, to receive a survivor benefit upon the death of the member in Active Service.

    Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT)

    EFT ensures your payment will not be lost or stolen. Some of the reasons that the majority of NYCERS members and pensioners choose to use EFT are, it's:

  1. Safe: Eliminates lost or stolen checks

  2. Sure: Ensures that you get your money, even if you are out of town, ill or on vacation

  3. Fast: Your account is credited on the payment date - no waiting for your loan check to clear before you can draw on it

  4. Easy: Eliminates a trip to the bank and waiting in lines

  5. Eligible Beneficiary

A survivng spouse who has not remarried, or dependent children to age 25, or dependent parents, or any person, until age 21 who qualifies as a dependent for Federal Income tax purposes on the final Federal income tax return filed immediately preceding the year of death of the member, in priority order, is considered to be eligible to receive Death Benefits.

  1. Eligible Member

A member of NYCERS who is a Participant in one of the Special Programs, who is employed in an Eligible Position.

  1. Eligible Position

FOR THE 25-YEAR EARLY RETIREMENT PROGRAM (55/25 PROGRAM) AND THE AGE-57 RETIREMENT PROGRAM (57/5 PROGRAM):

An Eligible Position is ANY position in City service EXCEPT:

  1. Any position held by a Transit Authority Member eligible to participate in the 25-Year and Age-55 Retirement Program (whether or not such a Member is a Participant in that Program*)

  2. Any position in the uniformed forces of the NYC departments of Correction and Sanitation

  3. The positions of Bridge & Tunnel Officer, Bridge and Tunnel Sergeant, Bridge and Tunnel Lieutenant, Assistant Bridge and Tunnel Maintainer, Bridge and Tunnel Maintainer, Senior Bridge and Tunnel Maintainer, and Laborer with the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority

  4. Any positions in the Division of Housing and Urban Renewal

  5. Any position in the Unified Court System

  6. Any teaching position with the City University of New York (CUNY), and

  7. Investigators employed in a District Attorneys' office

* The exception is any Transit Authority Member who was enrolled in the 57/5 Program prior to enactment of Chapter 10 of the laws of 2000, and thereafter elected to remain a Participant in that Program.

FOR THE SANITATION 20-YEAR PROGRAM:

A position in the uniformed-force of the NYC Department of Sanitation.

FOR THE TRANSIT 25/55 PROGRAM:

A member employed in the NYC Transit Authority Operating-Force and some managers.

FOR THE TBTA 50/20 PROGRAM:

A position as a Bridge & Tunnel Officer, Sergeant or Lieutenant in a non-managerial position.

FOR THE DISPATCHER 25-YEAR PROGRAM:

A position while employed by the City of New York as a Dispatcher Member: that is as a Fire Alarm Dispatcher, Supervising Fire Alarm Dispatcher, levels 1 and 2, Director of Dispatch Operations or Deputy Director of Dispatch Operations.

FOR THE EMT 25-YEAR PROGRAM:

A position while employed by the City of New York or the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation as an EMT Member: that is in a title whose duties are those of an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), or Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT), or in a title whose duties require the supervision of employees whose duties are those of an EMT or AEMT.

  1. EMT Member

A member employed by the City of New York or the Health and Hospitals Corporation in a title whose duties are those of an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT) or in a title that supervises EMTs or AEMTs.

  1. Final Average Salary (FAS)

The greater of the average annual Wages earned during any three consecutive calendar-year periods, or the final 36 months immediately preceding the member's retirement date. But , if the salary earned during any year included in the calculation of the member's FAS exceeds the specific limits for Tier 2, Tier 3 or Tier 4 members, the amount in excess of such limit is excluded from the computation. For members who did not work full-time, or who had absences without pay in the 36 months immediately preceding their retirement, the period used in computing the FAS will be greater than three years.

  1. Final Compensation

The average compensation earned during: the five-year period immediately preceding the member's retirement date, or any consecutive five calendar-year period prior to the member's retirement date that would provide him or her with the greatest average compensation.

Where the period used to determine Final Compensation is the period which immediately precedes the date of retirement, any month or months (not in excess of 12) during which the member was on authorized leave of absence at partial pay or without pay are excluded and an equal number of months immediately preceding the five-year period shall be substituted in lieu thereof to provide Credited Service totaling five calendar years.

  1. Final Salary

For members of the uniformed forces of the departments of Sanitation and Correction who joined the retirement system prior to July 1, 1973: the annual rate of salary earnable on the day before the date of retirement.

For all others: the salary earnable in the year ending on the day before the date of retirement or alternatively, the average annual compensation during any three calendar years designated by the member, if in a Career-Pension-Plan Position.

  1. Income Limitation

The fixed dollar maximum amount of Personal Service Income a pensioner receiving a Tier 4 Disability Retirement Benefit can earn in any calendar year. The Income Limitation is established annually based on percentage increases or decreases in the prior year's Consumer Price Index.

  1. Members' Contribution Accumulation Fund (MCAF)

An account maintained for each Tier 3 and Tier 4 member into which the "basic" contributions of 3% of Wages deducted from the member's paycheck each payroll period are deposited, plus interest earned on such contributions at the rate of 5% , compounded annually.

  1. Membership Service

Service rendered after joining NYCERS - includes all service while on the payroll of the City of New York or a Participating Employer and Military Service.

  1. Military Service

There are various laws that allow members to purchase service credit for time spent on active duty in the U.S. military. They are sections 242, 243 and 244 of the New York State Military Law, the Federal Veterans Reemployment Rights Act (VRRA) and ARTICLE 20 of the Retirement & Social Security Law as added by Chapter 548 of the laws of 2000. Each law has different provisions for granting of service. A member is entitled to receive credit for Military Service under whatever law provides him or her with the greatest benefit.

Under all provisions, Military Service must have been satisfactorily completed and a discharge under honorable circumstances received. Under the VRRA, a member is eligible to receive credit for the entire length of mandatory military service and up to four years of voluntary military service, but only time actually spent on active duty.

  1. Minimum Accumulation

The amount of normal contributions accumulated with interest to the earliest date for service retirement, less the amount of the reserve for Increased-Take-Home-Pay on such date. For a member in the Career Pension Plan, the amount of normal contributions is accumulated to the date on which he or she either completed or could have completed 25 years of Career-Pension-Plan qualifying service.

  1. MTA Bridges & Tunnels (TBTA) Member

A member of NYCERS who is employed in the MTA Bridges & Tunnels (TBTA) as a Bridge and Tunnel Officer, Sergeant or Lieutenant in a non-managerial position and who elects to contribute to NYCERS for the right to retire under the 20-Year/Age 50 Retirement Programs enacted by Chapter 472 of the Laws of 1995.

  1. Participant

Any member of NYCERS who elects or is required to participate in one of the Special Programs.

  1. Participating Employer

In addition to the City of New York, the following Participating Employers also employ members of NYCERS:

  1. NYC Employees' Retirement System

  2. NYC Teachers' Retirement System

  3. NYC Transit Authority

  4. MTA Bridges & Tunnels (TBTA)

  5. NYC Housing Authority

  6. NYC Health & Hospitals Corporation

  7. NYC Off Track Betting Corporation

  8. NYC Rehabilitation Mortgage Insurance Corporation

  9. NYC Housing Development Corporation

  10. City University of New York

  11. NYC School Construction Authority

  12. Municipal Water Authority

Departments of the State of New York which had formerly been departments of the City of New York, where members of NYCERS are still employed

  1. Part-time Service

Service rendered in a City job or with a participating employer in which an employee is regularly scheduled to work less than 1,827 hours in a calendar year. NYCERS prorates credit for past or present part-time, Service based on one year of service credit for 1,827 hours worked in a calendar year. No member can receive credit for more than one year of service in any calendar year, regardless of the number of hours worked or positions held, or service credit greater than the elapsed time actually worked.

  1. Pension

That part of a member's retirement benefits that is provided by contributions made by the City of New York or the member's Participating Employer(s).

  1. Personal Service Income

Any wages, salaries, tips, professional fees, or other compensation received for personal services actually performed for any employer after the effective date of retirement of a Tier 4 disability retiree.

  1. Physically-Taxing Position

A position in City service included on the Official List of Physically-Taxing Positions promulgated and maintained by the NYC Office of Labor Relations.

Members in Physically-Taxing Positions who are Participants in the Age-55-Improved-Benefit-Retirement Program, the 25-Year Early Retirement Program or the Age-57 Retirement Program are required to pay a higher percentage of Wages as Additional Member Contributions, and are eligible for retirement as early as age 50, if they have 25 or more years of service in Physically-Taxing Positions.

  1. Police Service

Service rendered by Tier 1 and Tier 2 members while employed in the uniformed-force of the NYC Department of Correction.

  1. Previous Service

Service rendered while employed by an agency of the City of New York, or with the State of New York, or any of its political subdivisions.

  1. Primary Social Security Retirement Benefit

The benefit payable to a covered employee at age 62 or later, under the Federal Social Security Program, exclusive of any family benefits, calculated as provided in Section 511(c) of ARTICLE 14 of the Retirement and Social Security Law.

  1. Prior Membership Service

Service for which retirement service credits was received while a member of a public employee retirement system of the City or State of New York.

  1. Reserve for Increased-Take-Home-Pay (ITHP)

For some Tier 1 and Tier 2 members, an amount that at the time of death or retirement is equal to the accumulation of the contributions for ITHP, plus interest earned thereon.

  1. Retirement Allowance

For Tier 1 and Tier 2 members, the annual benefits payable in monthly installments consisting of the Pension, including pension for Increased-Take-Home-Pay, if any, and Annuity.

  1. Salary Base

Compensation used in computing a benefit.

  1. Sanitation Member

A member employed in a position in the uniformed-force of the NYC Department of Sanitation.

  1. Special Programs
  2. Age-57 Retirement Program (57/5 Program)
  3. 25-Year Early Retirement Program (55/25 Program)
  4. Sanitation 20-Year Retirement Program (Sanitation 20-Year Program)
  5. Transit 25-Year and Age-55 Retirement Program (Transit 25/55 Program)
  6. Triborough Bridge & Tunnel Authority 20-Year and Age-50 Retirement Program (TBTA 50/20 Program)
  7. 25-Year Retirement Program for Dispatcher Members (Dispatchers 25-Year Program)
  8. 25-Year Retirement Program for EMT Members (EMT 25-Year Program)
  9. Tier 4 Members with Tier 3 Rights (Tier 3/4 Members)

Tier 4 members who last joined NYCERS after July 26, 1976 and before September 1, 1983, or were otherwise made eligible, automatically became Tier 4 members on September 1, 1983. However, these members retain their Tier 3 rights and are eligible to elect Tier 3 benefits.

In the past, a Tier 3/4 Member typically exercised his or her Tier 3 rights when he or she wanted to retire prior to age 62, since there was no such provision under Tier 4. Due to enactment of Tier Equity legislation in 2000, Tier 4 members are now eligible to retire before age 62, with a lesser benefit reduction than under Tier 3. Furthermore, Tier 3 Service Retirement and Disability Retirement Benefits impose a significant reduction upon the retiree's attainment of age 62 - i.e. the retirement benefit is further reduced by 50% of his or her primary Social Security benefit attributable to his or her Credited "City" Service.

In the vast majority of cases, it is no longer advantageous to revert to Tier 3 for retirement purposes. There are Tier 3 disability provisions that may make a Tier 3/4 Member eligible for a benefit that he or she would not be eligible for under Tier 4.

  1. Transit Authority Member

A Tier 4 member employed in the operating-force of the NYC Transit Authority and some managers.

  1. Unpaid Leave

An approved leave of absence during which a member does not receive Wages from his or her employer.

EXAMPLES:

  1. Sick leave of absence without pay
  2. Workers' Compensation leave of absence without pay
  3. Leave of absence without pay for the purpose of engaging in union activities
  1. Wages

Any earnings paid for services rendered to an agency of the City of New York or any other public employer in New York City or New York State.