Retirement > MERS > Retiree > Social Security
18. What effect does Social Security have on my CMERS benefit?
The CMERS system has a built-in social security reduction. While a person can collect full retirement with 25 years of service (and ostensibly retire at 45), Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 7-437 requires the CMERS retirement benefit to be reduced when the retiree is eligible for social security which is at age 62 – not at the age of “full retirement.”
The state legislature drafted a formula for CMERS to use with regard to this age 62 reduction. In essence, the formula reduces the benefit by approximately 25% (e.g. a benefit of $1,357.17 per month would be reduced to $1,031.33). This reduction will not occur for non-Social Security CMERS participants.