Disability FAQs

You may be eligible for a disability benefit from the State Universities Retirement System (SURS) after you have at least two years of service credit and you become unable to perform the duties of your position with your SURS-covered employer because of illness or injury. There is no minimum service credit required if you become disabled because of an accident.

If you are able to work but not at the same percentage of time you were working prior to becoming disabled you may work and earn up to the amount of your monthly disability benefit. If you earn more than the amount of your monthly disability, SURS is required to reduce the monthly disability benefit amount.

Example:
Jane Smith receives $1,200.00 a month in SURS disability benefits. Jane is able to go back to work, but only part-time; one month she earns $1,250.00 from her employer. SURS can then only pay $1,150.00 for that month.

If you were to exceed your monthly disability benefit amount for three consecutive months or return to employment at 60 percent time or greater, SURS will place your benefit on HOLD to prevent overpayments. You will be required to mail or fax to SURS a form to verify exactly how much money you earned for the month. This form will be required before your monthly disability benefit can be issued.

Yes. Disability applications may be obtained from your employer. You will complete the employee section. Your employer will complete their section. The final section needs to be completed by your physician and forwarded to SURS along with the appropriate medical documentation. A Medical Claims Processor will then research the claim and determine whether eligibility is granted or denied. If granted, the claim is then forwarded to a claims calculator who will determine the amount of the disability benefit.

You should request an Application for Disability from your SURS-covered employer. The completed application should be submitted to SURS.

You will receive either 50 percent of the monthly salary you were receiving at the time you became disabled or 50 percent of your average earnings for the 24 months prior to the date you became disabled, whichever is greater.

You are not required to use vacation benefits before receiving your disability benefit. However, if you think your disability is permanent, you may want to remain on full salary using vacation benefits. Your disability benefit will be subject to adjustment if you decide to receive vacation benefits after your disability benefit begins which will result in an overpayment.

By law, you must exhaust all accumulated sick leave before your SURS disability can begin. Therefore, if you have more than 60 sick days, your disability benefit will begin to accrue immediately following your last day of paid sick leave, assuming you remain disabled. Law does not require you to exhaust your vacation before benefits can begin; however, please check with your Benefits Office regarding your employer’s policies.

Example:

There is a 60-day waiting period before you are eligible to receive your SURS disability benefit. During this 60-day period you may be eligible to receive sick leave pay from your employer. Your benefits will begin on the later of:

• The date you have been disabled for 60 continuous calendar days, or
• The day following the last day you were paid by your employer including pay for all sick leave benefits and any other salary payments such as vacation benefits, or
• The 30th day prior to the date SURS receives your disability application

Example:

The SURS disability process team will review the application and all medical documentation to make a determination of your eligibility for benefits. Please respond immediately to any additional requests sent to you by SURS. Your claim will be finalized upon receipt of all necessary information from you, your employer and your physician(s), including medical documentation. Once a decision has been made, you will receive written notification of the medical determination. If you are medically approved, the disability process team will work with your SURS-covered employer to obtain final payroll information.

You should complete and submit an application immediately if you expect to be unable to work for at least 60 days because of your disability. If you are unsure of how long you will be unable to work, you should still complete and submit an application. A disability benefit cannot begin more than 30 days before the date SURS receives your application. An application must be on file with SURS within one calendar year after the date your disability occurred.

SURS will require that your physician complete a Report of Physicians’ Disability Form for Continuation of Benefits. Along with the form, SURS requires current supporting objective medical records. You will have 60 days to return the required form and medical documentation to SURS. If the earliest date you are able to schedule an appointment with your physician is past the deadline, you must notify SURS immediately to receive an extension.

You may contact a Member Service Representative at 800-275-7877 (800-ASK-SURS) or dial direct (217) 378-8800.

The laws governing SURS do not allow any payment of benefits for the first 60 days. Therefore, your payment will not be retroactive to your last day of work.