Combining service credit earned as a member of the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund with service earned in the other 12 Illinois public retirement systems covered by the Illinois Retirement Systems Reciprocal Act can greatly enhance your pension. Understanding reciprocity and how you may benefit can influence how and when you retire.
The Illinois Retirement Systems Reciprocal Act (Reciprocal Act) gives retiring Illinois public employees the option to combine service credit earned in all Illinois public retirement systems (except local police and fire pension funds). The Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund (CTPF) is one of the 13 Illinois public retirement systems covered by the Reciprocal Act.
Under the Reciprocal Act, your service from all covered systems is combined upon retirement. The total combined service credit is then used to determine your eligibility for pension benefits from each system and the amount of those benefits.
Reciprocity is not mandatory. If you choose to use the provisions of the Reciprocal Act, the systems exchange information regarding service credits, salaries, and other data to determine your pension benefits.
