PLANS A, B, C, AND D
LACERA contributory plans provide disability retirement benefits for active members who are determined by the Board of Retirement (BOR) to be permanently incapacitated and unable to perform their regular job duties.

There are two types of disability retirement:

• Service-connected disability (SCD) – Permanent disability resulting from an illness or injury directly related to your County employment. The BOR must find a direct causational link to the workplace in order to grant a service-connected disability retirement.
• Nonservice-connected disability (NSCD) – Permanent disability resulting from an illness or injury not related to your County employment.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
SCD: A Plan A, B, or C member who becomes permanently incapacitated and unable to perform his or her regular job duties due to an SCD may apply to receive an SCD retirement allowance; there is no age or service requirement.

A Plan D member must meet one of the following additional conditions to apply for an SCD:

• Has been in Plan D exclusively or
• Completed an Open Window transfer to Plan D from Plan E or
• Transferred to Plan D prospectively from Plan E and meets either of the following conditions:
• Completed two years of continuous service as an active Plan D member after his/her most recent effective date of transfer
• Earned five years of service credit as an active Plan D member after his/her most recent effective date of transfer (break in service)

NSCD: A Plan A, B, C or D member of any age who has at least five years (60 months) of County (or County and reciprocal) service credit and becomes permanently incapacitated and unable to perform his or her regular job duties due to an NSCD may apply to receive an NSCD retirement allowance:

You may not apply for disability retirement if you are a Plan E member or if you have withdrawn your retirement contributions. However, general members in Plan A, B, C, D, or E may apply for disability benefits under the County's Long-Term Disability and Survivor Benefit Plan. Check with your Department for details regarding County-sponsored and/or administered insurance benefits.

WHEN YOU MUST APPLY
An application for either type of disability retirement must be submitted:

• While you are still employed, or
• Within four months after you have terminated employment, or
• Any time after terminating employment, provided
• You are physically or mentally unable to perform your regular job duties and that condition has been ongoing from the date of separation
• A delay in filing your application has not impaired LACERA's ability to investigate your case

An Employee Disability Retirement Package , containing an application form and brochures detailing disability requirements, policies, and procedures is available on the Brochures & Forms page. You may also request a package by calling LACERA's Disability Division at 1-800-786-6464.

After you have submitted your application and all other requested documentation, a disability retirement specialist will be assigned to your case. After sufficient information has been obtained and your medical reports reviewed, the retirement specialist will interview you and later send you to one of LACERA's panel physicians to be examined.

A minimum of six to nine months is required to process a disability application.

The Board will make a determination regarding your request for a disability retirement based upon the recommendation of the panel physician(s) and the disability retirement specialist.