In addition to workers’ compensation benefits, injured police officers, firefighters, and corrections officers may be eligible for significant retirement and disability benefits, and more under the Minnesota Public Employee’s Retirement Association (PERA). To address some frequently asked questions, Meuser, Yackley & Rowland attorney, Katie Ebnet, provides some basic information and documentation required when filing for PERA.
Clients often ask me what they need when filing for PERA. When we submit an application to PERA, we need to submit two forms completed by your medical providers stating you are unable to work for a period of at least one year and that you were injured while you were working. We also have to submit to PERA a copy of your First Report of Injury, along with a copy of your current job description, as well as a copy of your birth certificate and if you are married, we will need a copy of your spouse’s birth certificate. We also need to submit a copy of your marriage certificate if you are married.
If you were divorced while you were a member of PERA, we have to submit a copy of your divorce decree to PERA if it has not already been submitted. We also have to let PERA know what you want to choose as a survivorship option. In order to do that you will need to contact PERA and request a copy of your Duty Disability Estimates. The Duty Disability Estimates will indicate how much you will receive per month in your benefit and it will also indicate how much your benefit will be reduced if you were to choose a survivorship option. Those are the documents we need to submit PERA. Without those documents your application will not proceed forward, so it’s important to get those documents sent to us early in the process so that we have them ready to go when we file.
We will need to submit a copy of your pre-employment physical and your pre-employment psychological evaluation to PERA with your application. You can request those items from your Human Resources department. If HR does not have a copy, which routinely happens that they cannot locate a copy, then we would need a letter on your employer’s letterhead stating that they are unable to locate a copy of the pre-employment physical and pre-employment psychological evaluation.
We will also need to submit a copy of a voided check to PERA. PERA directly deposits your monthly award into your checking account so we will need a copy of your check information. You will need to know what your PERA ID number is because we will need to put your PERA ID number on all of the documents we submit to PERA.
Meuser, Yackley & Rowland, P.A. is one of the few workers’ compensation law firms in the state of Minnesota that also handles PERA and MSRS disability claims. We’ve successfully represented hundreds of State Patrol, police officers and firefighters throughout the state for both workers’ compensation and PERA/MSRS disability claims. Our knowledgeable attorneys will help you understand the often-confusing PERA Duty Disability benefit law and ensure you receive the full benefits to which you are entitled. We can explain what rights you have and make recommendations to you in terms of how to best protect your rights to those benefits. Meuser, Yackley & Rowland, P.A. will help make the process easier to navigate. Contact us today for a free, confidential, no-obligation consultation by calling 1-877-746-5680.