QDRO:

A QDRO (Qualified Domestic Relations Order) is a divorce order that provides instructions to ERSRI as to how to pay benefits awarded by the court to an ex-spouse.

PDF (Portable Document Format):

PDF is short for Portable Document Format, a file format developed by Adobe Systems. PDF captures formatting information from a variety of desktop publishing applications, making it possible to send formatted documents and have them appear on the recipient’s monitor or printer as they were intended. To view a file in PDF format, you need Adobe® Acrobat® Reader®,a free application distributed by Adobe Systems.

Position Code:

The code used by ERSRI for an employee’s current position.

Primary Beneficiary:

A primary beneficiary is identified by a member and receives the member’s benefits upon his/her death.

Public Employee:

An employee of a member agency.

Purchased Service Credit:

Service credit purchased to increase retirement income or allow earlier retirement.

OAP - Optional Annuity Protection:

If you have over ten years of service and have completed an Optional Annuity Protection form, your beneficiary will have the option of receiving either a return of contributions or a monthly annuity in addition to the death benefit. Spouses will automatically get this option provided the member had over ten years of service and the spouse was the sole beneficiary. Public safety member should only fill out an Optional Annuity Protection form if their beneficiary is not the spouse as the OAP form will negate whatever benefits are available under the police and fire statutes.

Optional Service Credit:

Service credit that a member can purchase.

Organization Code:

The assigned four-digit system code.

Non-Contributing Service Credit:

This is the purchased service credit. Purchased service does not contribute towards a member’s vesting.

Number of Paid Days:

The number of days an employee was paid during the period. For Teachers/Certified only.

Member:

A person who is or has been employed at any time by an ERSRI member agency.

Member Account:

An account with ERSRI that keeps track of the contributions for a member.

Member Account Status:

This is an indication of your membership status with ERSRI. An account Status may be “Active”, “Inactive”, “Refunded”, “Service retired” or “Disability retired”.

Member Agency:

A public agency (such as a city, township or school) which has joined the retirement system by a resolution of the city council and/or a legally binding agreement with The State of Rhode Island.

Member Status Code:

The employee’s status as of the record’s begin and end dates.

In-active Member:

A member who is no longer employed in a public position (by a member agency) but has not taken a refund of contributions. If the member is vested, he or she is eligible for deferred retirement benefits at a certain age, even though they are not ‛active’ members.

Health Care Eligibility:

Health care coverage is offered to retired state workers and public school teachers by the State of Rhode Island. To learn more about this topic, see Health Care Info.