Shenandoah -- Virginia’s first national park

Deferred Vested Members

How Do I Know If I'm a Deferred Vested Member?

You're a deferred vested member if the following are all true:

  • You're a former FCPS educational, administrative, or support employee with 5 or more years of full-time credited service.
  • You ended full-time employment with FCPS before your service retirement date.
  • You did not refund or roll over your ERFC contributions.

OR

You're a current employee with 5 or more years of credited service and the following are both true:

  • You switched to part-time or became a substitute teacher
  • You did not refund or roll over your ERFC contributions 

As a deferred vested member, you're eligible to receive an ERFC pension when you retire.

Your ERFC retirement benefit supplements the primary benefits you'll earn from the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) and Social Security.

VRS + ERFC + Social Security

How Is My Benefit Calculated?

3or5yr.png

At What Age Can I Begin Receiving My Benefit?

That depends on which ERFC plan you’re in:

Legacy Plan (Hire Date: Before July 1, 2001):

  • Reduced benefit
    • At age 45 with at least 25 years
    • At age 55 with at least 5 years
  • Unreduced benefit
    • At age 55 with at least 25 years
    • At age 65 with at least 5 years

2001 Tier 1 Plan (Hire Date: July 1, 2001 to June 30, 2017):

  • Any age with at least 30 years
  • Age 60 with at least 5 years

2001 Tier 2 Plan (Hire Date: July 1, 2017 to Present):

Social Security Age or Rule of 90 (Years of Service + Age = 90)

What Do I Need to Do to Receive My Benefit?

To receive your ERFC benefit:

  • Log in to ERFCDirectand select Intent to Retire located under Online Forms in the left menu.
  • Once your Intent to Retire is approved, you’ll receive an email from ERFC outlining the next steps in the retirement process.
  • Gather the following documents:
    • Birth certificate, REAL ID, Virginia driver's license, government-issued identification card, or passport for you and your survivor (if applicable)
    • Survivor's Social Security card (Survivor Option Only)
    • Marriage certificate (Survivor Option Only)

If you don’t apply for benefits on the date you become eligible, benefits will not start until ERFC receives the required documentation. Benefits can be retroactively paid provided it is not more than 90 days from the date of application.

Are you over age 73?

If so, you need to start receiving benefits. Under the terms of the ERFC Plan and the Internal Revenue Code, you must begin receiving payments from ERFC no later than your “required beginning date,” which is April 1 of the calendar year following the later of:

(a) the calendar year in which you attained age 73, or

(b) the calendar year in which you retire

If you recently received information from ERFC about starting your ERFC benefits and have questions, please call 703-426-3900 or email us at erfcretirement@fcps.edu.

Forms

  • Name/Address Change Form for Inactive Members ERFC 29A
  • Name/Address Change Form for Retirees & Beneficiaries ERFC 29B
  • Authorization to Discuss Member Information ERFC 31

Documents

Legacy

(Hire Date: Before July 1, 2001)

Tier 1

(Hire Date: July 1, 2001 to June 30, 2017) 

Tier 2

(Hire Date: July 1, 2017 to Present)

ERFC Direct Logo

To check the status of your account, log in to ERFCDirect. There you can confirm what plan you’re in, update any information that’s changed since you left FCPS, run estimates, name or update your beneficiaries, and more.

Go To ERFCDirect


Questions?

Call us at 703-426-3900 or email us at erfcretirement@fcps.edu.