What does being “vested” mean?
A PERS member is vested when they have at least 5 paid-up years of membership service. Once you are vested, you may terminate PERS employment and still receive a monthly retirement benefit when you reach retirement age. However, you must leave your contributions in the PERS to stay vested. As an active employee in the PERS, vesting also expands your death and disability benefits. Prior to vesting, both occupational death and disability monthly benefits are available for injuries or illnesses arising from occupational causes. Only vested members, however, have monthly benefits for death or disability resulting from nonoccupational causes.
