Your eligibility for the longevity bonus can be affected by:

• Divorce
• Participating in the Reduced Workload Program
• Retiring in the middle of the school year

Remember, December 31, 2010 = sunset date.

Situations Not Eligible For Longevity Bonus

You may currently receive a benefit that does not qualify for the bonus, even if you have the minimum 30 years of service credit. These include:

• Disability allowance or disability retirement benefit.
  • Coverage A and B disability benefits are based on 50 percent of final compensation, not service credit.
  • Review an introduction to disability benefits.
• Family allowance or survivor benefit.
  • Details of the benefit are in the Member Handbook.

Situations Where Counseling Is Recommended

Benefit counseling is recommended if you:

• Receive differential pay
• Perform assignments that accelerate total service credit:
  • Extra assignments the first half of the 2010-2011 school year
  • 2010 summer school
• Plan to retire mid-year during the 2010-2011 school year
  • Mid-year retirement can impact your final compensation

Remember two things:

• Only one year of service credit is allowed per school year.
• Anything over one year of service credit is credited to the Defined Benefit Supplement Program.

Contact us or meet with a benefit counselor to discuss how these affect the longevity bonus.

Very Specific Situations That May or May Not Affect Eligibility

Divorce Settlement

If you lost some of your service credit in a divorce, your bonus eligibility is not affected.

For example:

If you had 30 years of service credit and the court awarded your spouse five of those years as part of the divorce settlement, your bonus eligibility is based on your original 30 years, not the 25 you are left with after the divorce.

Reduced Workload Program

If you participate in the Reduced Workload Program:

• Complete your contract for the school year to earn full service credit.
• Contact CalSTRS to find out how your eligibility for the longevity bonus may be affected.

For more information on the Reduced Workload Program, review the background and eligibility requirements of the longevity bonus or see chapter 5 of the Member Handbook.