What is Reciprocity?
Reciprocity allows you to move from one retirement system to another without losing your benefits. UC's reciprocal agreement with other California public retirement systems can allow you to coordinate your benefits between the two systems when you retire. If you are a member of both the University of California Retirement Plan (UCRP) and the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), reciprocity may benefit you by allowing you to combine service credit and compensation from both plans. You may become vested sooner or be able to retire with a higher benefit than if you were a member of just one plan.
How to Establish Reciprocity
To be eligible for UCRP/CalPERS reciprocity, you must be an active or inactive member of both retirement plans and submit requests for reciprocity within six months (180 days) of leaving former eligible employer. To establish reciprocity, review the UCRP/CalPERS Reciprocity Fact Sheet and submit the included Election of Reciprocity form to the Retirement Administration Service Center (RASC) in Oakland within the first 90 days of employment.
To image the form directly into the RASC system and accomplish immediate receipt of Reciprocity form, it is recommended to fax the UBEN 157 Election of Reciprocity form to RASC at (800) 792.5178 and keep copies of everything submitted. The form may also be mailed to RASC at the address noted on the form.
After submitting the UBEN 157, the UC Retirement At Your Service (UCRAYS) email accounts for a RASC communication indicating the completion of the Reciprocity process and confirmation of eligibility. This process may take several months to confirm with the previous employer, but a response will be issued from RASC refer to UC UCRP/CalPERS Reciprocity - section How to Establish Reciprocity.
For more help with reciprocity, contact the UC Retirement Administration Service Center (RASC) at 1-(800) 888-8267. For UC questions, check out UCnet (ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu). Or contact the UC Retirement Administration Service Center at (800) 888-8267 or your local Benefits Office. For CalPERS questions, go to calpers.ca.gov, call (888) 225-7377 or write: California Public Employees’ Retirement System Member Services Division—Unit 841 P. O. Box 942704 Sacramento, CA 94229-2704
What is Employment Service Credit?
Employment Service Credit is used to determine vacation accrual rate and eligibility for service awards.