member records and enrollment

All employees hired with the intent of working at least 80 hours per month and for 90 consecutive calendar days should be enrolled in APERS on/as of their date of hire. The employee’s earnings must also meet Federal minimum wage guidelines to be eligible for retirement service credit. This includes part-time and seasonal employees.

Please note that there is no waiting period for enrollment into APERS. If an employee meets the eligibility requirements, s/he should be enrolled on/as of the first day of work.

Exclusions: Employees who are current members of or eligible for membership in another public retirement plan or are currently receiving a benefit from APERS are NOT eligible for enrollment.

Concurrent Employment
Ascertain whether new employees are currently working for another APERS-covered employer before determining whether they meet the eligibility requirements. Contact the APERS Call Center if you are unsure whether the second employer is covered by APERS retirement.

Elected Officials of First Class Cities
Act 1281 (effective 7/16/03) requires that newly elected Mayors and City Clerks of a first class city who are serving in a municipality that participates in APERS shall become participating members of APERS unless they opt to participate in a local retirement plan.

The officials have ninety (90) days after first assuming office to provide written notice to APERS that they opt to participate in the local retirement plan. APERS will refund any matching payments or contributions once the official has notified us that they have opted out.

Contributory or Non-Contributory?
Employees hired after July 1, 2005 who have never worked for an APERS-participating employer or are returning to work more than six (6) months after last being reported to APERS by a participating employer MUST be enrolled as contributory members.

Non-contributory members who terminated from an APERS-participating employer, and who returned to an APERS-covered employer, within the last six (6) months, may choose to remain non-contributory or change to contributory status. This election must be made immediately upon hire and the Return to APERS-Covered Employer Form must be completed and submitted to APERS with the Membership Data Form.

 

Table of Forms
Form		Form Instructions
Employee Enrollment Request - This form replaces the Membership Data Form (MDF)		Enrolling in the Retirement System
Employee Contributions Beneficiary Designation - This revised form replaces the Designation of Beneficiary form. You must submit this form along with the Employee Enrollment Request.		Designating a Beneficiary for Employee Contributions
Return to Covered Employment Election - Non-contributory members who terminated and return to service within 6 months must complete this form to elect in which plan to participate. You must submit this form along with the Employee Enrollment Request and (if applicable) the Employee Contributions Beneficiary Designation.		Returning to Covered Employment
Employee Exclusion Acknowledgement - The form provides personal data and employment information about the employee, and it provides the reason the employee is excluded from membership.		Excluding Employees from Enrollment in the System
Enrollment Change Request - This new form replaces the Notice of Change of Address, Request for Change of Name, and Request for Change of Beneficiary		Requesting an Enrollment Change

This area is dedicated to instructions, helpful information and forms to help employers assist members with changing members’ name, address and beneficiary on record in the system.

Member Change Forms

If an employee notifies your payroll office of a name or address change, or a beneficiary change for a life insurance policy, please have them complete the appropriate APERS change form so that our system will have the correct information. The employee may submit the change form directly to APERS or the employer may include the form(s) with remittance forms or the monthly report. Note that some of these forms require supporting legal documents or must be notarized.

Enrollment Change Request - This new form replaces the Notice of Change of Address, Request for Change of Name, and Request for Change of Beneficiary. The Form can be found here and the instructions here.

This area is dedicated to instructions, helpful information and forms to help employers assist contributory members with ending their employment and requesting a termination of employment refund.

Completing the Termination of Employment Refund Request Form

If the employee was contributory and wishes to have his/her contributions refunded, both the employer and the employee must complete the Termination of Employment Refund Request Form.

Termination of Employment Refund Request Form

The employee completes the top portion of the form and has it notarized.

The employer completes the bottom portion of the form, indicating the 1) termination date, 2) the last monthly report on which the member will appear with earnings, and 3) the number of hours the member worked in the month of termination.

Note: Refund requests cannot be processed until we have updated the database for the last month earnings were reported for the employee. Depending on when the employee terminates, the refund process can take up to 90 days.

Completing the Monthly Salary and Service Report

On the monthly earnings and service report, indicate the termination by recording a “T” (in red) in the N/T/D column. If possible, also provide the termination date in the Remarks column.

Publications

Special Tax Notice Regarding Plan Payments

Requesting a Termination of Employment Refund (Coming Soon)

This area is dedicated to instructions, helpful information and forms to help employers assist members with applying for retirement benefits.

Application for Retirement Annuity

Completing the Verification of Termination and Wages Form

This form is found in the Retirement Application packet and is used to report anticipated earnings for the last month the employee is scheduled to work. These earnings will be used to compute the monthly (DROP) benefit of the retiring member, so it is very important for the employer to complete and return the forms accurately and quickly.

Completing the Elected Official Affidavit of Compliance

This form is used to certify that an elected official has or will vacate the elected position and is in compliance with the termination requirements of A.C.A. 24-4-520 and APERS Regulation 220. This form will be required before a retiring member can begin receiving a benefit, so it is very important for the employer to complete and return the forms accurately and quickly.

Elected Official Affidavit of Compliance

Completing the Monthly Salary and Service Report

On the monthly earnings and service report, indicate the termination by recording a “T” (in red) in the N/T/D column. If possible, also provide the termination date in the Remarks column.

Publications

Applying for Retirement Benefits (Coming Soon)

Assisting Members with Applying for the DROP

Content coming soon

DROP Application Form

DROP Distribution Form and Tax Notice

DROP Provisions