How can I access my online benefits statement?
If you are working on a DC Government-issued laptop and you are connected to the DC Government-secured domain, please use the following URL to access the DC Government-secured portal: https://pshcm.dc.gov. Once you’ve logged in, your self-service page should resemble the screenshot below:
I am an instructional employee (e.g., principal, teacher, assistant principal) who has not received a Statement of Estimated Benefits.
Statements are only available in the PeopleSoft self-service for members of the District of Columbia Teachers’ Retirement Plan (the Plan) who were actively employed on July 1, 2024. Actively employed members with less than one year of employment did not receive statements, and instructional employees who separated employment before July 1, 2024, did not receive statements.
You can calculate your estimated benefit by entering your employment data in DCRB’s Retirement Benefits Calculator.
Why is the salary shown on my Statement of Estimated Benefits different from my current salary?
The salary printed on your statement is your salary in effect as of July 1, 2024. It does not reflect any changes to your salary since that date.
What should I do if my information needs to be fixed (for example, my service dates are incorrect)?
The personal information printed on your statement reflects the data in PeopleSoft as of July 1, 2024. Contact your human resources (HR) office to discuss any corrections you believe should be applied to your record.
Where is my military and/or other purchased service in this estimate?
The Statement of Estimated Benefits does not include military or other purchased service. If you would like an estimate of your benefits that includes your military or other purchased service, you can use DCRB’s Retirement Benefits Calculator. Contact your HR office with any questions about entering additional information into the calculator.
What are the eligibility requirements for a teacher to retire under voluntary retirement?
To become eligible for retirement benefits, you must be a vested participant, having been actively employed and contributed to the District of Columbia Teachers’ Retirement Plan for five years. Upon becoming a vested participant, you are eligible for a voluntary retirement benefit at the following points:
- age 62; or
- age 60, and you have 20 years of service; or
- age 55, and you have 30 years of service; or
- any age, and you have 30 years of service, and you were hired on or after November 1, 1996.
What assumptions about future pay increases and retirement dates are present in this estimate?
This statement provides monthly benefit estimates based on your salary as of July 1, 2024. Income projections are not included. Your estimated benefit may increase in the future as your salary continues to grow. Also, the benefit estimate assumes you will retire at your earliest optional retirement date. Your actual monthly benefit during retirement may differ from the amount shown in your Statement of Estimated Benefits depending on your total years of creditable service, average salary, and the type of benefit you select at retirement.
When can I retire?
Your Statement of Estimated Benefits shows the estimated earliest date you can retire with a voluntary retirement benefit. Your estimated retirement date does not consider any breaks in service or leave periods without pay that you may have experienced during your employment.
When am I vested in the Retirement Plan?
You must complete five years of eligible service to be vested in the Retirement Plan.
How is my average salary calculated?
Your “average salary” is the average actual rate of pay you earned during the 36 consecutive months of service when your pay was the highest. Since there can be several actual pay rates during this time period, each rate is weighted based on the time it was in effect. This means that if you were paid at a higher rate for seven months of a year than you were for the other five months, your pay rate for those seven months would have the greater weight in calculating your average salary.
Why is there a discrepancy between my benefit shown in the Statement of Estimated Benefits and the output I receive from using DCRB’s Retirement Benefits Calculator?
The Statement of Estimated Benefits calculates months in completed months, while the online calculator uses rounded months. The online estimate is based on the data you enter into the calculator, which may vary from the data used to calculate your Statement of Estimated Benefits.
What other items may impact my estimate?
Periods of leave without pay, suspensions, previously refunded contributions, and purchases of service, which are not reflected in your Statement of Estimated Benefits, may impact your estimated benefits.
Can I request a revised statement?
Although revised statements are not available on demand, you can use the online Retirement Benefits Calculator, which produces an estimate close to what you would receive in your statement.
Should you experience a salary change or are considering purchasing creditable service under the Plan, the online calculator is available to estimate how those changes might impact your future benefits.
Were charter school members mailed statements?
Due to the absence of complete charter school data, DCRB could not calculate statements for charter school members of the Plan.
Updated 11/2024