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If you receive a decision about your retirement benefits from the Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) that you don’t agree with, there are steps you can take. We want you to have every right and every benefit you are eligible to receive. In determining your benefits, our Plan Administrators answer requests about the rights of retirement system members, beneficiaries and employers and make decisions about benefits such as service credit, plan membership and disability retirement rights. If your request isn’t granted, or you’re not satisfied with the results, you may ask a different DRS representative to review the Plan Administrator’s decision.
Here are the steps of the petitions and appeals process:
At each step, DRS respects your right to:
If you don’t agree with the Plan Administrator’s decision, you may file a petition. The DRS Petition Examiner handles the petition process and writes the petition decision. The petition process is informal and is generally conducted on written documents. There is no hearing involved.
Here’s what you need to remember and what you need to include when filing a petition:
You must file your petition within 120 days of the date you receive the Plan Administrator’s decision.
Your petition should contain:
Submit your petition to DRS in one of the following ways:
Department of Retirement Systems
Attention: Petition Examiner
PO Box 48380
Olympia, WA 98504-8380
Until further notice, do not attempt personal service or service by registered mail or any other method of service that would require DRS to provide a signature in order to receive service.
The Petition Examiner will review your submission, including DRS records and other relevant information. The Petition Examiner will enter a written decision and mail it to you and to other interested parties.
If you don’t agree with the petition decision, you may file an appeal. The DRS Presiding Officer handles appeals and writes the appeal decision (which will be the final order). An appeal is more formal than a petition and may involve a hearing to discuss the evidence.
Note: If you are representing yourself in the appeal proceedings, please review the section representing yourself in a retirement appeal.
Here’s what you need to remember and what you need to include when filing an appeal:
You must file your appeal within 60 days of the date you receive the Petition Decision.
Your appeal should contain the specific information set out in Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 415-08-023. A general summary of that information includes:
Submit your appeal to DRS in one of the following ways:
Department of Retirement Systems
Attention: Presiding Officer
PO Box 48380
Olympia, WA 98504-8380
Until further notice, do not attempt personal service or service by registered mail or any other method of service that would require DRS to provide a signature in order to receive service.
There are usually two parties involved in an appeal — you and DRS (an Assistant Attorney General will represent DRS). The Presiding Officer will conduct a preliminary telephone conference, establish an appeal schedule, review the information submitted by both parties and, if necessary, conduct a hearing. The Presiding Officer will then write a decision and mail it to the parties.
For more specific information about petitions, you can read the DRS petition rules in Chapter 415-04 of the Washington Administrative Code (WAC). If you have questions, please contact the DRS Petition Coordinator at 360-664-7022.
For more specific information about appeals, read the DRS appeal rules in Chapter 415-08 WAC. Additional appeal rules are in Chapter 10-08 WAC (the procedural rules for adjudicative proceedings).
For information on appeals that have been decided, see Disposition of Administrative Appeals 2003‐Present (PDF).
If you have questions, please contact the DRS Appeals Coordinator at 360-664-7294.
The provisions governing petitions and appeals are contained in the Revised Code of Washington and Washington Administrative Code. This information is a summary of those provisions, not a complete description of the law. If there are any conflicts between what is written in this publication and what is contained in the law, the applicable law will govern.
Retirees, inactive members, beneficiaries and legal-order payees: You can update your address from your online retirement account. Just select “Address” from the welcome screen. If you need to update your name, fill out and send in a printed form as well as a copy of documentation showing the change.
Active members: Update your name and/or address through your employer. That new information will soon appear in your online retirement account.
Set up and manage direct deposit of your benefit payments from your online retirement account. Just follow the “Direct Deposit” directions under “My Account” in the navigation menu.
(If you prefer to fill out and mail in a printed form, select this link.)
Members, you can update your beneficiary information from your online retirement account. Select “My Account” in the navigation menu and then “View/Edit” beside “Beneficiary.”
(If you prefer to fill out and mail in a printed form, select this link.)
Members, you can update your beneficiary information from your online retirement account. Select “My Account” in the navigation menu and then “View/Edit” beside “Beneficiary.”
(If you prefer to fill out and mail in a printed form, select this link.)