Important notice: PERS processes many written benefit estimate requests in retirement date order, with the earliest retirement dates first. Average processing time is currently 1-2 months. However, estimate processing time may vary from member to member, as each account is different, so we are unable to advise exactly when your request will be processed.
PERS is currently processing all estimates received in September/October 2022.
Please note that if your PERS account involves a divorce, your estimate may take longer to process.
PERS can only provide written pension benefit estimates for retirement dates within the upcoming 24 months.
You
can also create an estimate online at any point in your career by logging in to your Online Member Services (OMS) account. Please note: Estimates created through OMS do not yet reflect the changes in SB 1049 and may not be accurate for members earning over $195,000 for retirement dates on and after January 1, 2020.
If your PERS account involves a divorce, you
should request a written benefit estimate. OMS cannot correctly calculate a benefit estimate on an account with a divorce award.
Please note that an estimate from PERS only includes information on your OPSRP retirement benefit. You can use the IAP Balance and Installment Calculator to estimate your Individual Account Program (IAP) distribution at retirement.
By law, PERS is required to pay out the benefit that you earned. Estimates rely on information reported by your PERS-participating employer(s) from throughout your career. This information includes service credit, hours worked, and salary history. However, your final vacation and sick leave information may not be reported until you end all PERS-qualifying employment.
When you apply to retire, PERS will thoroughly review and verify all of your member information. If errors or discrepancies are found, your benefit will be adjusted accordingly. As such, this review process may produce a final benefit amount that differs from what appeared in your estimates.
Examples of what can cause errors or discrepancies:
- Under- or over-reporting by your employer(s).
- Technical issues, such as double-posting of contributions or earnings.
- Divorce.
- Any legally required corrections.
It's important to remember that a benefit estimate is just that — an estimate. It is not the final determination of your benefit.
Before obtaining a benefit estimate, some members may wish to request a data verification from PERS. Data verifications are not required to retire but can be helpful if you think any of the information shown in your PERS account may be wrong.
Reasons you may wish to request data verification include:
- Working for multiple PERS-participating employers during your career.
- Working for multiple PERS-participating employers at the same time.
- Working many part-time hours in your PERS-qualifying employment.
Members who have data verifications completed have their account information locked for the time period the data verification covers. PERS cannot go back and change the locked data.
If you wish to request a data verification, consider doing so when you are within two years of your earliest retirement eligibility. The data verification process is extensive and can take several months to complete, including resolving any disputes that may arise over the data. This could delay your retirement. For this reason, it is advised that you submit any data verification requests a year before your desired retirement data.
1. How many benefit estimates can I generate online and how long are they stored in the database?
A. You may create as many benefit estimates as you would like. However, the system will only store the six most recent estimates. These estimates will be available until a benefit is processed.
2. How current is the data used in my benefit estimate(s)?
A. The data used is the most current information that your employer(s) has provided. Normally, employers report data to PERS monthly so there could be a lag. Account balances are current as of December 31 of the previous year.