A federal program in which employees disabled on the job can receive pay. Any workers' compensation payments Tier Two members receive may offset disability benefits. carrier and any disability insurance company. 
If you meet the general requirements outlined in "Duty Disability Retirement" or "Non-Duty Disability," contact PERS Member Services toll free at 888-320-7377 to request an Application for Tier One/Tier Two Disability retirement. PERS recommends that you apply as soon as you are physically off the job, even if you are on paid leave or receiving short or long term disability benefits. You must be off all work at the time you submit your application. Apply if you anticipate that you will be off work due to the disability for a minimum of 90 consecutive days. You may submit your application during the 90-consecutive-day off-work period; you need not wait until you have met the 90-day period of disability.
Speak to your physicians before applying for a Tier One/Tier Two disability retirement and let them know PERS will contact them to confirm and document your disabling condition. Ask your health care providers if they require their own information release. If so, complete their required form and submit it to PERS with your application.
If your disability is duty-related, you will need to provide a copy of your workers’ compensation report to PERS for review. Please note: Some workers’ compensation carriers will only release records to you and will not release records to PERS. If this occurs, please forward the records to PERS.
PERS requires specialists for certain disabling conditions:
If you are not sure you have a specialist that meets PERS criteria, contact PERS Member Services at 888-20-7377 for assistance.
When you complete your application for disability retirement, list the physicians who have treated your disabling condition. PERS will require medical documentation from the time you stopped working to the time you apply for disability retirement.
Upon receipt of the completed forms, PERS will send requests to your doctors, hospitals, or clinics for medical information. PERS staff will also request documentation from your employer and, if applicable, workers' compensation A federal program in which employees disabled on the job can receive pay. Any workers' compensation payments Tier Two members receive may offset disability benefits. carrier and any disability insurance company.
The PERS staff and medical advisor will review your records and use Oregon Revised Statutes and Oregon Administrative Rules to determine eligibility.
The disability determination can take up to six months, sometimes longer, from the date PERS receives your initial application.
You must be unable to perform any work you are qualified to perform, not just your last or usual job.
If PERS approves your application for disability retirement, you will receive an approval packet in the mail. This packet includes the required forms you must complete to initiate your disability benefits.
Your employer must also submit information to PERS before benefits can be paid.
PERS will not pay any benefits until you have been physically off the job for 90 consecutive days. After the 90-day period, benefits paid are retroactive to your effective date of disability retirement, which is based on information we receive from your physician(s) and employer.
Benefits are effective the first of the month following the last month in which you received paid salary or paid leave from your employer and will continue for as long as you meet the PERS disability criteria.
If you are not approved, PERS will notify you by regular and certified mail. The first notification, Intent to Deny letter, is considered a preliminary denial. The letter will cite the reasons for the determination. You will have 30 days to provide PERS with additional documentation to support your claim. You will also be eligible to request an extension of 30 additional days to provide additional documentation.
If PERS does not receive additional information supporting your claim or if the additional information received does not change the determination, PERS will again notify you by regular and certified mail. This letter is a formal denial. It will provide you with your appeal rights, and you will have 45 days to submit your appeal of the denial of disability retirement.