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Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

If you don't find your answer in the frequently asked questions below, you may wish to contact us.

FAQ Contents:


Change of Address

Question: How can I change my address with IMRF?

Answer: At this time and for your protection, your address cannot be changed by email. Your actual written signature is required.

You can change your address online through your Member Access Account. For more information on applying for an account, visit Member Access.Your employer can also change your address online.

You can also change your address with IMRF sending your request on a piece of paper that must include: the date, your new address, your name and Social Security number, and your signature. This may be mailed or faxed (630-368-5397) to IMRF.

You can read more about changing your personal information here.

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Refunds

Question: How can I get a refund of my contributions?

Answer: To receive a refund, you must have stopped working for your IMRF employer. You cannot take a refund of your IMRF contributions if you have left your IMRF-qualified position but are still working for the same employer. For example, if you were working for a school district as a teacher's aide and participated in IMRF, then accepted a teacher's position with the same district and joined TRS, you cannot take a refund of your IMRF contributions.

You must then complete IMRF Form 5.10 (Application for Separation Refund) and submit it to IMRF. Note that your employer must complete and file IMRF a Notice of Termination with IMRF before your refund will be processed.

Provided IMRF has all the necessary paperwork on file, it generally takes about 10 business days to process a refund.

Rollovers of refunds
If you are rolling over your refund to a qualified plan, please take Form 5.10 with you to the financial institution and have section 3 completed. Please advise the institution that Form 5.10 is the only rollover form IMRF can accept.

Other IMRF benefits related to your refund
If you have fewer than eight years of service credit, your IMRF contributions will be returned to you upon request. Keep in mind that if you take a refund of your IMRF contributions you forfeit your right to any other benefit from IMRF.

If you have eight or more years of service credit and are:
  • Less than age 55 - -your IMRF contributions will be returned to you upon request. However, if you leave your contributions on deposit, you will be entitled to a pension at age 55.

  • Age 55 or older -- and if your IMRF service qualifies you for a monthly pension of $30 or more, you cannot withdraw your contributions, but instead will receive a monthly pension.

Reciprocal service credit and refunds

If you have 12 months of service credit with any of the 13 reciprocal retirement systems in Illinois (or if you have any amount of IMRF credit earned as a paraeducator and then went directly into TRS participation), your service credit can be combined to calculate a retirement benefit. You may wish to contact IMRF for more information about reciprocal service credit before submitting your refund application.

Form 5.10 (Application for Separation Refund)

Get Form 5.10, or communicate with IMRF and request one be mailed to you.

You can read more about the refund process here.

 

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Question: Can I borrow against my IMRF contributions?

Answer: You cannot borrow from your member contributions, nor can you use them as collateral for a loan. The Illinois Pension Code specifically states that members cannot borrow from their contributions nor use them as collateral. There is no "hardship provision."

However, under this same restriction, your IMRF member contributions are also protected from your creditors as long as your contributions remain on deposit with IMRF. They cannot be garnished or seized by any creditor.

You also cannot take a refund (full or partial) of your IMRF contributions while you are currently working for an IMRF employer (even if you work in a position that does not qualify for IMRF participation), nor can you opt out of IMRF participation if you work in a qualifying position.


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Downloading forms and publications from IMRF Online

Question: I am having trouble downloading forms from your website. Can you help?

Answer: In order to view and print documents found on IMRF Online, you need a software application called Adobe Acrobat Reader. You will not be able to view and print our publications online if you do not have this software installed.

Most new computers have Acrobat Reader already loaded. However, if you don't have this software already installed, it can be downloaded 100% free of charge directly from Adobe. It will allow you to view and print the IMRF publications available online.

If you have the software installed and are still experiencing difficulties, we recommend that you check the Adobe site and make sure you have the most recent version of the software.

If you are still unable to view or print IMRF publications online, please communicate with IMRF.


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Question: How do I change my designated beneficiary(ies) on my IMRF account?

Answer: To make any change (add or remove) to your beneficiary(ies), you must complete a new Form 6.11 (Designation of Beneficiary). You must sign, date, and file this form with IMRF. Your new Designation of Beneficiary form is valid upon receipt by IMRF. Please note that although we can accept the signature of a representative for name and address changes, we cannot accept the signature of anyone other than the member to change a beneficiary.

Also, please note that if you make any changes to the Designation of Beneficiary form, you must initial each change as you would for any other legal document. If you do not do this, the form will not be accepted.

You may obtain Form 6.11 from IMRF Online or by calling 1-800-ASK-IMRF (1-800-275-4673).

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Question: How can I find out how much I will receive from IMRF when I retire?

Answer: Your IMRF annual member statement includes this information once you have eight or more years of service credit. You may also request a pension estimate from IMRF by calling 1-800-ASK-IMRF (1-800-275-4673), or by completing and submitting Form BF-20 (Pension Estimate Request) to IMRF.

You can get an online pension estimate based on your actual IMRF account information, or submit a BF-20 online, through Member Access.


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Question: What is the 13th Payment (Supplemental Benefit Payment)?

Answer: Eligible IMRF retired members (or their surviving spouses) receive a supplemental benefits payment, also called the "13th payment," every July. The 13th payment is normally mailed out by July 15 after the usual July payments are mailed.

Read more about the 13th Payment.

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IMRF and Social Security

Question: I am getting ready to retire and collect my IMRF pension. I was told that my Social Security benefits would be reduced because of my IMRF pension. Is this true?

Answer: No. When you participate in IMRF, you, like most members, also contribute to Social Security. Therefore, you are entitled to the benefits of both IMRF and Social Security. Your IMRF retirement benefits do not affect your Social Security benefits, or vice versa, in any way.

At retirement, you are entitled to full benefits from both. Your IMRF benefits are never reduced because you receive Social Security benefits, and your Social Security benefits generally are not reduced because you receive IMRF benefits. The only exception to this rule is if you earned service credit with IMRF during years that you did not also contribute to Social Security.

You should be aware that even though Social Security and IMRF do not affect each other, your pension benefits from other pension funds may be subject to a Social Security offset. If you are participating in a Reciprocal system, you should contact that system or the Social Security Administration to find out the rules that apply to that plan and Social Security.

Read more about IMRF and Social Security

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Unused, unpaid sick leave

Question: I am getting ready to retire. Can I use my unused, unpaid sick leave to earn additional service credit?

Answer: You may qualify for a maximum of one year of additional service credit for unused, unpaid sick leave accumulated with your last employer.

This additional service credit applies only if you are leaving employment for retirement.The effective date of your pension must be within 60 days of your termination date. If you are leaving one IMRF employer and are not eligible for (or choose not to) retire, in most cases you cannot "bank" your sick leave for your future retirement date.

Do you work for a school district?
Public Act 96-0299 was signed into law on August 11, 2009. This new legislation provides that members retiring from a school district may qualify for a maximum of one year of additional service credit for unused, unpaid sick leave accumulated with any prior school district employers. The effective date of the pension must still be within 60 days of termination from a school district.

This new law applies only to employees of school districts and only to sick leave accumulated with a school district. Employees of other educational entities, such as special education cooperatives, and employees of all other non-school district units of government are not eligible.

Teachers retiring with IMRF service credit are eligible if the reciprocal pension will be effective within 60 days of termination and the sick leave was earned in an IMRF-covered position with a school district.

To report unused, unpaid sick leave, the previous school district employer may submit a corrected Notice of Termination of Participation via Employer Access.

If the school district does not submit a corrected termination notice, the member may provide IMRF with evidence of the unused, unpaid sick leave. Acceptable evidence must have originated on or before the date the previous employment ended.

The service credit is earned at the rate of one month for every 20 days of unused, unpaid sick leave or fraction thereof.

Unused, unpaid sick days

Additional months of service credit

22
2
68
4
136
7

Please note: converted sick leave service credit cannot be used to meet the:
  • eight-year requirement for an IMRF pension,
  • 35-year requirement for a non-discounted pension under age 60, or
  • 20-year requirement for the IMRF Early Retirement Incentive.

    The sick leave must have been accumulated under an established sick leave plan available to all employees or a class of employees, and the effective date of your pension must be within 60 days of your termination.

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Leaving your IMRF Employer - "Transferring" Service credit

Question: What happens when I change jobs from one IMRF employer to another? Do I have to do anything to transfer the service?

Answer: The easy answer? You don’t have to do anything. Your new employer will submit a notice of enrollment in IMRF when you begin your new IMRF-participating position, deduct IMRF contributions from your wages, and report your monthly wages and contributions for you. And that’s all. No action is required on your part to make sure that your service credit “follows” you to your new employer.

Your service credit and member contributions will continue to accrue and will be credited to your Member Account. When you retire, each employer will be responsible for funding the portion of the pension you earned while working for them.

 

 


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IMRF Online provides a brief summary of IMRF benefits and the adminstration of those benefits. IMRF members' and employers' rights and obligations are governed by Article 7 of the Illinois Pension Code. Statements in these publications are general, and the Illinois state law governing IMRF is complex and specific. If a conflict arises between information in these publications and the law, all decisions are based on the law.

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Page Last Updated by LBH on 01-29-10