Sometimes members may ask you to provide them with an IMRF form. They might come to you for help for a variety of reasons—for example, because they do not have a Member Access account, or because they cannot find or print the form they need.

You can still help members with their forms, but the ways you can help them have changed.

• The best way is to help the member sign up for an IMRF Member Access account and become more comfortable with using it. A member’s account contains bar-coded forms unique to that member. The personal bar code on a form makes sure that it is quickly and accurately applied to that member’s account.
• If you print out a form for a member, it must be a bar-coded form from that member’s own Member Access account.
• DO NOT provide members with non-bar-coded forms. It will slow down the processing of the member’s form.
• NEVER reuse or make copies of bar-coded forms for either your own use, or to share with your employees. Bar codes are embedded with specific information about the member whose account the form was generated from. If a duplicated, bar-coded form is used by a different member and is sent to IMRF, the form will be directed to the wrong member's account.

Read on for the step-by-step process for helping members with their forms in the following circumstances:

Scenario 1:

Member has a Member Access account but can’t locate and/or print their form.

Scenario 2:

Member does not have a Member Access account.

Scenario 3:

Member is unable to create a Member Access account.

Scenario 1:

Member has a Member Access account but can't locate and/or print their form.

First, have the member log into Member Access using their work computer or another acceptable computer at your workplace (for example, a computer in the Human Resources office).

If there is an option to apply online for this process in Member Access under “Online Tools”:

Encourage the member to complete the process using Online Tools, as this is the best and most efficient way.

A member can use Online Tools to:

• Apply for Retirement
• Apply for Disability Benefits
• Apply for a Refund
• Update their Payment Preferences

If there is not an option to apply online, or if the member wants to use a paper version of the form:

Use this QRC to help the member find the form in Member Access and generate their personal bar-coded form.

Assist the member with printing out this form.

If the form is not in the drop-down list in Member Access:

The member must send a secure message through Member Access or call IMRF at 1-800-ASK-IMRF (275-4673) and ask for the form to be mailed to them.

Scenario 2:

Member does not have a Member Access account:

First, does the member have an email address on file with IMRF?

If the member DOES have an email address on file:

1. Use this QRC to help the member register for their Member Access account.
2. Once the member has registered, follow the steps in Scenario 1 to help the member find the form they need.

If the member DOES NOT have an email address on file:

1. Ask the member what email address they want to have on file with IMRF.
2. To add an email address to a member's record, click the New Data Collection button at the bottom of the My Data Collections box on the Employer Access dashboard.




3. Click the Create Data Collection button. Choose Member Information Changes from the Data Type drop down menu. Enter your IMRF Employer Number where it says Partner Code. Click the Save and Continue button in the right column.
4. This will bring you to the Add Member Data screen. Click the Add Record button.
5. You will need to enter the member's Social Security Number, first name, and last name. Next to “Email,” add the member's personal email address and click Save.





6. The member’s account should update within a few minutes. Once the email address is added to the member's record, the member will then be able to self-register for a Member Access account.
7. Use this QRC to help the member register for their Member Access account
8. Follow the steps in Scenario 1 to assist the member with finding their form in Member Access.

Scenario 3:

Member is unable to create a Member Access account

If the member is unable to create a Member Access account, they will need to call IMRF to have a paper bar-coded form mailed to them.

1. The member should call 1-800-ASK-IMRF (275-4673) and select Option 1 for Member Access.
2. The member should ask the representative to update their communication preference to paper. Then, they can request the form they want from the representative. This will ensure the form is mailed to them.
   
   Once they have updated their communication preference to paper, in the future they can use the self-service option through 1-800-ASK-IMRF (275-4673) to request forms to be mailed to them.
3. Members can also email IMRF here to request the form they want. In the message, they should make sure to write that they want the form to be mailed to them.

Note: If a member does not use Member Access, they need to be prepared to wait longer for the form to be processed.