STATE EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT COMMISSION		55 ELM STREET HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT 06106-1775 TELEPHONE: (860) 702-3480 TELEFAX:(860) 702-3489
MEDICAL EXAMINING BOARD for DISABILITY RETIREMENT
HEALTH CARE COST CONTAINMENT COMMITTEE
	STATE OF CONNECTICUT RETIREMENT AND BENEFIT SERVICES DIVISION OFFICE OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER

RETIREMENT & BENEFIT SERVICES DIVISION MEMORANDUM

November 28, 2008

TO THE HEADS OF ALL STATE AGENCIES

The purpose of this memorandum is to inform you that due to staffing decreases, the hiring freeze and a significant increase in the number of requests for our counseling services, the Retirement & Benefit Services Division has been forced to modify its counseling appointment schedule. This has necessitated the following action; effective the close of business on December 31, 2008, all individual counseling sessions will no longer be offered and instead will be replaced with group counseling sessions. Moving to this type of format will allow the Retirement Counseling Unit to assist a wider range of employees with retirement planning yet still provide the individualized benefit information that had been requested. Exceptions for potential disability retirement applicants may possibly be made. This will be determined on a case by case basis. The employing agency should contact the Counseling Unit at 702-3490 if this situation should arise.

Please note that each group session will replicate the individualized retirement counseling session i.e. each group session is designed with the objective that the prospective retiree receives the information needed to make an informed retirement decision. Each group will consist of members of the same retirement plan (Tier I, Tier II, Tier IIA, etc.) for the purpose of the formal presentation. The number of attendees will be limited in size (approximately 36 prospective retirees and their guests) to ensure that all in attendance will have an opportunity at the end of the presentation to meet with the counselor(s) to ask individual questions.

Group sessions will begin in late January and will be held at the Office of The State Comptroller, 2nd Floor Training Room, 55 Elm Street, Hartford, CT, 06106.

Be advised that there is already a sizable backlog of employees that have requested individualized counseling. The Division is committed to contacting these individuals first to schedule them for their attendance therefore there is no need for any action on their part. An employee that contacts the Division pursuant to this memorandum may expect a wait period of approximately six to eight months.

Any employee that contacts the Division and wishes to be scheduled for a group session should only do so if they are within at least eighteen months of their eligible date of retirement.

Employees will be informed of this new procedure via a payroll insert to be included in with paychecks dated December 18, 2008. Please do not direct employees to contact the Division until that time.

After January 1, 2009 informational links with respect to the group sessions will also be posted on the Comptroller?s website at http:// www.osc.state.ct.us/rbsd.

Questions regarding this matter may be directed to the Retirement Counseling Unit.

Very truly yours,

STATE EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT COMMISSION
NANCY WYMAN, SECRETARY EX OFFICIO

BY:

Thomas C. Woodruff, Ph.D., Director
Retirement & Benefit Services Division

TW/cn

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