A disability pension is available to public safety officers for injuries. Injuries can happen on or off the job to qualify for the benefit.
The Board of Fire and Police Pension Commissioners is in charge of approving and monitoring pension payments. The approval is subject to revocation at any time.
The process
The board will review the original claim. If it approves the claim, you will begin to receive the pension. The assumption is it will be for life since it is a disability retirement payment. However, the board has the right to review your case on a regular basis. It may determine at some point to revoke your pension payments. If that happens, you would need to return to the job.
The qualifications
You can only receive a disability pension if you have been with the department for at least five years for those injuries that occur outside of work. Any injury occurring during work has coverage once you reach Tier 6. You should read through the documentation about disability pensions to get further details.
Remember, when you receive this pension, it is assumed to be a retirement payment due to an injury that prevents you from working. For this reason, the intention is for you to continue to receive payments for the rest of your life. Still, the board has the final say and can reverse the approval of the benefits decision. It is essential to understand this key point concerning your pension payments in the event that the board makes this decision about your case, which would end payments.