Police & Fire Plan Member Benefits Upon Termination
Police & Fire Plan Member Benefits Upon Termination
June 2, 2020
The death of George Floyd on May 25th while under police custody has led some members of the public to inquire about the impact of police officer terminations on their pension benefits. PERA is responsible to administer the Police & Fire pension plan in accordance with State of Minnesota laws and does not have discretionary authority over the determination of benefits. Terminated employees remain eligible for a refund of their employee contributions or a deferred benefit if they meet length-of-service requirements regardless of whether termination of employment was voluntary or involuntary. Under State law, being charged or convicted of a crime does not impact a member’s benefit. The benefit may only be changed via legislative action.