Updated October 21, 2026. Quick answer: The New Hampshire Retirement System pays an ordinary disability retirement to an active member whose permanent incapacity is not job-related. NHRS requires at least 10 years of creditable service and an application filed within one year of the date contributions cease, and the pension is approved by the Board of Trustees or its Benefits Committee. The formulas differ for Group I and for each Group II tier, and each has a stated minimum.
What this covers
NHRS’s Disability Retirement page opens “Members who are no longer able to perform the duties of their NHRS-covered employment due to an incapacity (either mental or physical) that is likely to be permanent may qualify for a Disability Retirement benefit.” It names two primary types, and this page covers “Ordinary Disability, which is a non-job-related permanent incapacity”.
The job-related type has its own page on this site; the plan’s other choices are on New Hampshire NHRS retirement decisions.
Who it applies to
It applies to an active NHRS member whose condition is not work-related. NHRS says the pension “will be payable for the eligible member’s lifetime if the member’s disability continues.” Which formula applies depends on your membership group and tier, which your NHRS account shows.
Eligibility, one condition at a time
NHRS lists these conditions for ordinary disability retirement.
| Condition | What NHRS says |
|---|---|
| Condition | “Active member becomes disabled due to a non-work-related condition” |
| Permanence | “Member’s disability is likely to be permanent” |
| Service | “Minimum of 10 years of Creditable Service is required” |
| Filing deadline | “Member’s application for disability retirement is filed within one year of the date the member’s contributions to NHRS cease” |
| Approval | “approved by the NHRS Board of Trustees or its Benefits Committee” |
The formulas, as printed
NHRS prints the formulas and says they “are based on the maximum retirement allowance payable and do not include any applicable reduction under an Optional Allowance”. No dollar amount is worked out on this page: your own average final compensation and creditable service are on your NHRS account.
| Group and tier | What NHRS says |
|---|---|
| Group I, all tiers | “1.5%* multiplied by Average Final Compensation multiplied by Creditable Service” The 1.5 percent figure applies to a Group I member who has not reached age 60. For a Group I member age 60 or older, section 100-A:6, I(b)(1)(A) sets the state annuity, with the member annuity, “equal to 1/60 of the member’s average final compensation at the time of their ordinary disability retirement multiplied by the number of years of creditable service at the time of their ordinary disability retirement” before Social Security full retirement age, and section 100-A:6, I(b)(1)(B) sets it “equal to 1/66 of the member’s average final compensation at the time of their ordinary disability retirement multiplied by the number of years of creditable service at the time of their ordinary disability retirement” after that age. |
| Group I floor | “All Group I members are guaranteed a minimum Ordinary Disability Retirement pension amount equal to 25% of their Average Final Compensation.” |
| Group II, Tier A | “2.5% multiplied by Average Final Compensation multiplied by Creditable Service (maximum of 40 years)” |
| Group II, Tier C | “2% multiplied by Average Final Compensation multiplied by Creditable Service (maximum of 42.5 years)” |
| Group II floor | “Group II members are guaranteed a minimum Ordinary Disability Retirement pension amount equal to 25% of their final compensation.” |
Group II Tier B multipliers
For Tier B, NHRS says “The Benefit Multiplier used to calculate the pension benefit is based on years of Creditable Service as of January 1, 2012.” The table it prints:
| Creditable service as of January 1, 2012 | Benefit multiplier |
|---|---|
| At least 8 but less than 10 years | 2.4 % |
| At least 6 but less than 8 years | 2.3 % |
| At least 4 but less than 6 years | 2.2 % |
| Less than 4 years | 2.1 % |
Group I members who retire on ordinary disability after 60 are treated differently: “The benefit formula for Group I members who retire on an Ordinary Disability Retirement after the age of 60 will be based on the provisions for Service Retirement.”
Filing for benefits
NHRS says “Members may file for Disability Retirement when their physician determines that they are no longer able to perform the duties of their NHRS-covered position.” The required documentation starts with “Application for Ordinary Disability Retirement”, “Employee’s Statement of Disability” and “NHRS Treating Physician’s Statement”. NHRS also says “All medical and other supporting documentation must be received by NHRS within 120 days of filing an application.”
What to do and where to look
NHRS tells members to “contact their employer to become aware of any other employer-sponsored benefits for which they may qualify.” For what happens when employer disability insurance ends, see what happens when long-term disability ends at 65. The state tax treatment of the pension is on whether New Hampshire taxes pensions.
Edition
This page reads the NHRS web pages cited under Sources, as NHRS served them on 2026-10-21. Check the current page and your own membership group and tier on your NHRS account; NHRS’s text controls over this summary.
Common mistakes
- Waiting past the filing window. NHRS says the application must be “filed within one year of the date the member’s contributions to NHRS cease”
- Assuming a short career qualifies. NHRS says “Minimum of 10 years of Creditable Service is required” for ordinary disability.
- Letting the paperwork lapse. NHRS says the application “shall be deemed to have been withdrawn if the member fails to provide the requested information within 120 days of NHRS’ request”
Related: New Hampshire NHRS retirement decisions, what happens when long-term disability ends at 65, and whether New Hampshire taxes pensions.
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Answer againSources
- New Hampshire Retirement System (NHRS), Disability Retirement: www.nhrs.org
- New Hampshire Retirement System (NHRS), Ordinary Disability Retirement: www.nhrs.org
- Related official page (not quoted): New Hampshire RSA 100-A:6, Disability Retirement Benefits: gc.nh.gov
- Related official page (not quoted): New Hampshire RSA chapter 100-A, New Hampshire Retirement System, table of contents: gc.nh.gov
Read from the pension system handbooks linked above on October 21, 2026. General information, not tax advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and a pension system or a qualified professional is the right place to confirm anything consequential.