Purchasing Past Service Credit from IMRF

The information on this page applies to participants of all IMRF plans.

What is past service?

Regardless of the type of service you are purchasing—whether you are converting military service, repaying a refund, or purchasing another type of service—the service you are purchasing is called “Past Service.”

The decision to purchase service credit from IMRF can be complicated. This "Purchasing IMRF Past Service Credit" booklet is designed to answer any questions you might have about purchasing past service from IMRF.

Your IMRF pension is calculated using a formula established by the Illinois Pension Code. This formula includes your salary, your years of IMRF service credit, and your age. Purchasing past service allows you to increase your total service credit, ultimately increasing the amount of your pension.

You must be actively participating in IMRF to be eligible to purchase service. In some cases, and for some types of service, you may also be eligible to purchase service if you are participating in an Illinois Reciprocal System.

• Types of IMRF Past Service Credit
  
• Paying for Past Service