Article
Not all MERS public safety employers provide a COLA to all retirees. Eligibility to receive a COLA depends on the type of COLA the employer elected to provide and when that COLA went into effect. Members who already receive an Annual COLA are not eligible to receive a ‘4-Year’ COLA.
- Police and Fire retirees who retired before June 30, 2012 and whose Annual COLA is currently suspended are eligible for the "4-Year" COLA. The COLA is applied to the first $33,130 of a member’s pension and will begin in the month following the date of retirement.
- Police and fire retirees who retired from an employer that has elected to provide a COLA AND who retired between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2015 become eligible for the "4-Year" COLA after reaching age 55 or the three-year anniversary of the member’s retirement date, whichever is later. The COLA is applied to the first $33,130 of the member’s pension and will begin in the month following the date of retirement or 55th birthday, whichever is later.
- Police and fire retirees who retired from an employer that has elected to provide COLAs AND retired after June 30, 2015 become eligible for the "4-Year" COLA after reaching age 50 or the three-year anniversary of the member’s retirement date, whichever is later. The COLA is applied to the first $27,608 of the member’s pension and will begin in the month following the anniversary of the member’s date of retirement or 50th birthday, whichever is later.
