Updated October 21, 2026. Quick answer: PERS of Mississippi pays disability retirement benefits to members who become permanently sick or injured and can no longer perform the essential duties of the job, in a non-duty-related and a duty-related form. The handbook sets filing deadlines, a Medical Board review, and income limits after approval. Check the handbook and your own member account for your tier and plan.
What this section covers
The handbook’s Disability Retirement Benefits section opens with “Disability retirement benefits provide you with a secure income if you become permanently sick or injured while employed and can no longer perform the essential duties of your job.” It continues, “PERS offers two types of disability retirement benefits: non-duty-related and duty-related.” The wider set of decisions at retirement is on Mississippi PERS retirement decisions.
Who it applies to
For the non-duty-related type the handbook says “Members are covered for non-duty-related disability retirement in one of two plans:”. The Tiered plan is “Applicable to members who enter PERS on or after July 1, 1992, and to members employed before July 1, 1992, who elected the Tiered Disability Plan.” The Age-Limited plan is “Applicable to members employed before July 1, 1992, who did not elect the Tiered Disability Plan and who have not received a refund of contributions since July 1, 1992.”
For the duty-related type: “You may be eligible for duty-related disability retirement if you become disabled as a direct result of a physical injury sustained from an accident or a traumatic event caused by external violence or physical force that occurred in the performance of official job duties.” “This coverage begins on the first day of PERS-covered employment.”
For an inactive member: “disability retirement coverage is only extended to you upon proof that the qualifying disability occurred within six months of termination and that the disability was the direct cause of termination from covered employment.”
The rules, one by one
| Rule | What the handbook says |
|---|---|
| Non-duty-related vesting | “To qualify for non-duty-related disability retirement, you must meet the vesting requirement for your Retirement Tier” |
| Duty-related benefit | “Duty-related disability benefits are the higher of either 50 percent of average compensation (tax-exempt) or the non-duty-related disability amount.” |
| How to apply | “complete and file all disability retirement application Phase 1 forms, which can be found online.” “After receipt of these forms, PERS will mail you a Final Estimate of Benefits along with Phase 2 forms to complete.” |
| Medical documentation | “You will be required to provide medical documentation for review by the Medical Board, including copies of office notes from all treating physicians and copies of any discharge summaries from inpatient hospital treatment.” |
| Filing deadline | “Your application for disability retirement must be filed within one year of termination from active service.” “This period may be extended by an additional year” |
| After you have left employment | “If you have terminated employment, you will have 90 days from your effective date of retirement to submit all required documentation.” “If your termination date is pending, you have 90 days from PERS’ receipt of your DSBL 1.” |
| Missing the deadline | “Failure to meet the filing deadline will result in your having to reapply for disability retirement.” |
| After approval | “If you have been approved for a disability retirement allowance and do not terminate service within 90 days after approval, the disability retirement and the application for disability retirement will be voided.” |
| Benefit options | “Disability retirement benefit options are the same as service retirement benefit options, except that members retiring under Disability Retirement may not select the Partial Lump Sum Option (PLSO).” |
| The Medical Board | “The Medical Board is comprised of three medical doctors responsible for identifying specific, objective medical and employment evidence, as documented, to determine whether a permanent medical condition exists that prevents you from performing the essential functions of your job.” |
| Social Security decisions | “it does not automatically accept that determination as sole evidence of eligibility for PERS disability retirement benefits.” |
| Continuing qualification | “you may be required to submit to periodic medical reexaminations (or reevaluations).” |
| Income restrictions | “you may work and earn no more than the difference between your average compensation before retirement and the benefit amount paid after retirement, excluding Cost-of-Living Adjustments.” “Income limitations do not include passive income such as interest income or Social Security income.” |
| Proof of income | “You must annually submit copies of your federal income tax returns and other supporting income earnings documents to PERS.” |
| Service retirement while pursuing | “as long as an application for disability retirement is on file with PERS before any service retirement benefits begin.” |
| Before vesting | “you may receive a refund of your contributions plus interest.” It applies where “you become disabled before meeting your vesting requirement”, and the handbook says to “File Form 5, Member Refund Application”. |
The figures the handbook prints
Each figure here sits inside one running sentence. The deadline is “Your application for disability retirement must be filed within one year of termination from active service.” The duty-related percentage appears in “Duty-related disability benefits are the higher of either 50 percent of average compensation (tax-exempt) or the non-duty-related disability amount.” For a member who stops working while the application is pending, “The temporary benefit will be paid as a partial distribution of your accumulated contributions and will equal no more than 50 percent of your accumulated contributions.”
The Temporary Allowance and Deferred Allowance amounts and the transition ages sit in a chart and calculator on pages 41 and 42, which are not read here.
What to do and where to look
The handbook says “The PERS Disability Retirement Guide, which can also be found online, will help you navigate the process of applying for disability retirement.” The forms are described as “The complete Form 5 Series may be found at www.pers.ms.gov”. For a temporary benefit, “your PERS benefit analyst will send you DSBL 11, Temporary Benefit Application”.
A disability retiree who wants to understand how options work can read single life vs joint and survivor pension and survivor benefits with a government pension. After the benefit converts, the handbook says “normal reemployment rules apply.” Those rules are on Mississippi PERS returning to work. The general public-plan questions are on public pension retirement decisions.
Edition
This page reads PERS of Mississippi, Member Handbook, the current file PERS of Mississippi served on October 21, 2026. Check the edition and your own tier or plan on your own member account; the handbook’s text controls over this summary.
Common mistakes
- Waiting too long to file. The handbook says “Your application for disability retirement must be filed within one year of termination from active service.”
- Expecting a partial lump sum. The handbook says “members retiring under Disability Retirement may not select the Partial Lump Sum Option (PLSO).”
- Not leaving service after approval. The handbook says “do not terminate service within 90 days after approval, the disability retirement and the application for disability retirement will be voided.”
Related: Mississippi PERS retirement decisions, single life vs joint and survivor pension, survivor benefits with a government pension, and public pension retirement decisions.
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- PERS of Mississippi, Member Handbook: www.pers.ms.gov
- Related official page (not quoted): PERS of Mississippi home page: www.pers.ms.gov
- Related official page (not quoted): PERS of Mississippi, Retiree Handbook: www.pers.ms.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.