" />
New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs

Alert: DMAVA offices are closed Wednesday, 3/7/18, due to inclement weather conditions.
(Close Alert)

Veterans Status for Pensions

Introduction

Those with Veterans Status who are enrolled in the following state operated pension funds qualify for Veterans Retirement:

Veterans Retirement is different than the standard Service Retirement available to most enrolled in the above pension funds, and has special benefits.

These benefits include the ability to retire at age 55 (with 25 years of service) and a more generous calculation of your Maximum Annual Allowance during retirement.

Learn more about Veteran Retirement

Qualifying for Veterans Status

To qualify for Veterans Status, the Veteran must have been honorably discharged and served on active duty during a qualifying war era.

The following documents will be needed to prove this service occurred:

For detailed information on qualifying for Veterans Status, please read Fact Sheet #17 Veterans Status, which is maintained by the New Jersey Division of Pensions and Benefits.

Veteran Retirement

A Veteran can qualify for Veteran Retirement with either:

For Veterans retiring with 25 years of service at age 55+, OR 20 years of service at age 60+, the Maximum Annual Allowance calculation is:

54.5% × Highest 12 Consecutive Months of Salary

For Veterans retiring with 35 years of service at age 55+, the Maximum Annual Allowance calculation is:

(Years of Service ÷ 55) × Highest 12 Consecutive Months of Salary

A Veteran can still choose a Service Retirement over a Veterans Retirement, if they prefer.

Establishing Veterans Status for Pensions

Download and fill out an Application for Veteran Designation for Pension (131 KB PDF). Once completed, please follow the written instructions found on the form to mail in your claim.

For Additional Information and Questions

The following documents are maintained by the New Jersey Division of Pensions and Benefits:

If you have any questions, please contact us by mail or phone:

NJ Department of Military and Veterans Affairs ATTN: <DVS-VBB> P.O. Box 340 Trenton, NJ 08625-0340 Phone: 888-865-8387 Fax: 609-530-6940