Understanding Your PSRS/PEERS Membership Status
Your membership status with the Public School and Education Employee Retirement Systems of Missouri (PSRS/PEERS) affects your benefits, responsibilities, and future retirement options. From the moment you begin working in a covered position to the day you retire and beyond, your status helps determine which benefits you're eligible for and the actions you may need to take.
Active Member
You are an active member if you are working in a PSRS- or PEERS-covered position and contributing to the retirement system. As an active member:
- You earn service each month you work in a covered position.
- You contribute a percentage of your salary to the retirement system.
- You are working toward — or may have already reached — eligibility for benefits such as service retirement, disability, and survivor protection.
📌 Tip: Keep your contact information up to date so you don’t miss important updates about your benefits.
Vested Member
You become vested once you have five years of service with PSRS/PEERS. Once vested:
- You have earned the right to receive a lifetime monthly benefit after meeting the age and service requirements.
- Your membership will not terminate, even if you are inactive for more than five years.
✅ Vesting protects your future benefits, even if you stop working in a covered position.
Inactive Member
You are an inactive member if you are no longer working in a covered position but have not withdrawn your contributions and interest. As an inactive member:
- You are not currently contributing to the system.
- Your contributions continue to earn interest.
- If vested, you remain eligible for future retirement benefits.
- You can return to employment and become active again.
- You can request a refund of your contributions and interest, but doing so means forfeiting the future retirement benefit that you have earned. This is a permanent decision, so we encourage you to talk with one of our experts first.
🕒 You can remain inactive indefinitely if you are vested. If you are not vested, your membership will terminate after five years of inactivity.
Terminated Member
Your membership will be terminated if you are not vested and remain inactive for five years in a row. Termination means:
- Your contributions no longer earn interest.
- You can request a refund of your contributions and interest.
- If you do not request a refund and return to covered employment after termination, you can combine your old and new memberships.
⚠️ You can avoid termination by returning to covered employment while inactive. You may also have the option while inactive to purchase enough service to become vested. Being vested prevents termination.
Former Member (Refunded)
Once you take a refund of your contributions and interest, you are no longer a member of PSRS/PEERS. This means:
- You have forfeited any service and future retirement benefits tied to your membership.
- If you return to covered employment, you will start a new membership.
- You may have the option to reinstate all or part of your forfeited service by repaying the refunded amount, plus interest.
👋 Once you take a refund, your membership ends. But we’re still here if you return to covered employment in the future.
Retired Member
You are a retired member once you have applied for and begun receiving monthly retirement benefits. As a retired member:
- You receive a lifetime monthly benefit.
- You may be eligible for cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs).
- You can return to work with certain limitations without affecting your benefits.
🎉 Congratulations! You’ve reached an important milestone. Be sure to review the rules for working after retirement to avoid benefit interruptions.