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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>72932</law_id><section_number>51.1-157</section_number><catch_line>Disability retirement allowance</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>27-39</reference><reference>51.1-130</reference><reference>51.1-166</reference><reference>51.1-210</reference><reference>51.1-220</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="51.1">Pensions, Benefits, and Retirement</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="1">Virginia Retirement System</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="9">Benefits</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Allowance payable on retirement. &#x2014; Upon retirement for disability, a <span class="dictionary">member</span> who has five or more years of <span class="dictionary">creditable service</span> shall receive an annual <span class="dictionary">retirement allowance</span> during his lifetime and continued disability equal to 1.70 percent of his <span class="dictionary">average final compensation</span> multiplied by the smaller of (i) twice the amount of his <span class="dictionary">creditable service</span> or (ii) the amount of <span class="dictionary">creditable service</span> he would have completed at age 60 if he had remained in service to that age. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for a <span class="dictionary">member</span> who (a) is a person who becomes a <span class="dictionary">member</span> on or after July 1, 2010, or (b) does not have at least 60 months of <span class="dictionary">creditable service</span> as of January 1, 2013, the allowance shall equal 1.65 percent of his <span class="dictionary">average final compensation</span> multiplied by the smaller of (1) twice the amount of his <span class="dictionary">creditable service</span> or (2) the amount of <span class="dictionary">creditable service</span> he would have completed at age 60 if he had remained in service to that age. If a <span class="dictionary">member</span> has already attained age 60, the amount of <span class="dictionary">creditable service</span> at his date of retirement shall be used.
			For retirements between October 1, 1994, and December 31, 1998, any <span class="dictionary">employee</span> or <span class="dictionary">local officer</span> who is a <span class="dictionary">member</span> or <span class="dictionary">beneficiary</span> of a <span class="dictionary">retirement system</span> administered by the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> shall receive an additional <span class="dictionary">retirement allowance</span> equal to three percent of the disability <span class="dictionary">retirement allowance</span> payable under this section; provided that, for purposes of this additional <span class="dictionary">retirement allowance</span>, the term <span class="dictionary">employee</span> shall include only those <span class="dictionary">employees</span> of <span class="dictionary">political subdivisions</span> that have adopted a resolution providing for such an allowance under subsection B of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Resolution of governing body; approval by Board" href="/51.1-130/">51.1-130</a>. <span class="dictionary">Average final compensation</span> attributable to service as Governor, Lieutenant Governor, <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span>, or <span class="dictionary">member</span> of the General Assembly shall not be included in computing this additional <span class="dictionary">retirement allowance</span>. <a id="paragraph-262717" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/51.1-157/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Workers&#x2019; compensation guarantee. &#x2014; If a <span class="dictionary">member</span> retires for disability from a cause which is compensable under the Virginia Workers&#x2019; Compensation Act (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Short title" href="/65.2-100/">65.2-100</a> et seq.), the amount of the annual <span class="dictionary">retirement allowance</span> shall equal 66 and two-thirds percent of the <span class="dictionary">member</span>&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">average final compensation</span> if the <span class="dictionary">member</span> does not qualify for social security disability benefits under the provisions of the Social Security Act in effect on the date of his retirement. If the <span class="dictionary">member</span> qualifies for social security disability benefits or has attained his normal <span class="dictionary">retirement age</span> under the provisions of the Social Security Act in effect on the date of his retirement, the allowance payable from the <span class="dictionary">retirement system</span> shall equal 50 percent of his <span class="dictionary">average final compensation</span>. A <span class="dictionary">member</span> shall be entitled to the larger of the <span class="dictionary">retirement allowance</span> as determined under the provisions of subsection A or under the provisions of this subsection. <a id="paragraph-262718" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/51.1-157/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> Reduction of allowance. &#x2014; Any allowance payable to a <span class="dictionary">member</span> who retires for disability from a cause compensable under the Virginia Workers&#x2019; Compensation Act shall be reduced by the amount of any payments under the provisions of the Act in effect on the date of retirement of the <span class="dictionary">member</span> and the excess of the allowance shall be paid to the <span class="dictionary">member</span>. When the time for compensation payments under the Act has elapsed, the <span class="dictionary">member</span> shall receive the full amount of the allowance payable during his lifetime and continued disability. If the <span class="dictionary">member</span>&#x2019;s payments under the Virginia Workers&#x2019; Compensation Act are adjusted or terminated for refusal to work or to comply with the requirements of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Duty to furnish medical attention, etc., and vocational rehabilitation; effect of refusal of employee to accept" href="/65.2-603/">65.2-603</a>, his allowance shall be computed as if he were receiving the compensation to which he would otherwise be entitled. <a id="paragraph-262719" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/51.1-157/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> Special <span class="dictionary">retirement allowance</span> guarantee. &#x2014; Any <span class="dictionary">member</span> retired from a cause which is not compensable under the Virginia Workers&#x2019; Compensation Act shall be guaranteed an annual <span class="dictionary">retirement allowance</span> during his lifetime and continued disability which equals 50 percent of the <span class="dictionary">member</span>&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">average final compensation</span> if the <span class="dictionary">member</span> does not qualify for social security disability benefits under the provisions of the Social Security Act in effect on the date of his retirement. If the <span class="dictionary">member</span> qualifies for social security disability benefits or has attained his normal <span class="dictionary">retirement age</span> under the provisions of the Social Security Act in effect on the date of retirement, the allowance payable from the <span class="dictionary">retirement system</span> shall equal 33 and one-third percent of his <span class="dictionary">average final compensation</span>. <a id="paragraph-262720" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/51.1-157/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E"><p><span class="prefix-number">E.</span> Determination of <span class="dictionary">retirement allowance</span>. &#x2014; For the purposes of this section, the <span class="dictionary">retirement allowance</span> shall be determined on the assumption that the <span class="dictionary">retirement allowance</span> is payable to the <span class="dictionary">member</span> alone and that no optional <span class="dictionary">retirement allowance</span> is elected. <a id="paragraph-262721" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/51.1-157/#E"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1952, c. 157, &#xA7; 51-111.57; 1956, cc. 560, 652; 1960, c. 604; 1962, c. 245; 1964, c. 186; 1966, c. 174; 1970, c. 476; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 88; 1972, c. 568; 1973, c. 523; 1974, c. 353; 1976, c. 541; 1980, c. 722, &#xA7; 51-111.57:1; 1982, c. 467; 1986, c. 474; 1990, c. 832; 1993, c. 895; 1994, 1st Sp. Sess., c. 5; 1998, c. 674; 2012, cc. 701, 823; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 53, 54.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
