Massachusetts State Employee Retirement System (MSERS)

You are eligible for retirement from the Massachusetts State Employee Retirement System (MSERS) at any age with twenty or more years of state service or at age 55 or 60 (depending on hire date) with 10 or more years of state service.

If you wish to retire from UMass Chan, you should contact the State Retirement Board to verify that you are eligible for retirement and to request an estimate of your pension. State Retirement Board retirement counselors may be reached at 617-367-7770, option 1. You will also need to call Benefits in the HR Service Center at (508) 856-5260, option 1 to request an appointment.

The yearly pension is determined by your age at retirement, years of state service, salary and group classification. The maximum pension that can be received is 80% of the average three or five highest consecutive years of salary.

You can file for retirement no sooner than 120 days before you plan to retire. You can also file for retirement up to sixty (60) days after you leave state service. If you file after sixty (60) days your benefits will not be retroactive to your retirement date. Therefore, the State Retirement Board strongly recommends that you plan your retirement before leaving the University. Certain retirement options will not be available to you once you stop working. You should therefore obtain counseling from the State Retirement Board before you stop working.