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Make your scheme election

Re-entering the ADF | Who is a re-entrant | Make your scheme election | Effect on your retirement pay or deferred benefit

Membership rules

Returning to the ADF in the reserves for less than 12 months

If you are

  • receiving retirement pay

    or

  • invalidity pay

    or

  • you have a deferred benefit that you have not claimed

    and

  • you intend to return to the ADF on Continuous Full-time Service (CFTS) in the Reserve Forces for less than 12 Months

What election must be made (s 61B(3))

You must elect whether or not to join the MSB Scheme*.

*Don’t make an election if you have joined the MSB scheme previously. You will re-join the MSB Scheme automatically. Please complete a Form M100 if you are in this situation.

*Don’t make an election if you are a deferred benefit re-entrant. You automatically join the MSB Scheme. Please complete a Form M100 if you are in this situation.

When the election must be made

You must elect before the engagement begins.

If the election is not made before re-entry

If you don’t make an election before your ADF service begins, you will become a Member of the MSB scheme.

You will be treated as if you had elected to join the MSB Scheme.

This situation is final and irreversible and will apply to all future periods of full-time service in the ADF. You can never go back to the DFRDB Scheme as a contributor

Re-engagements

Short Re-engagement.

Each time you enter into another short re-engagement for full-time service in the Reserves (ie one for less than 12 months), you must make another election (unless you have previously elected to join the MSBS). If you don’t, you will become a Member of the MSB Scheme – that situation will be final and irreversible.

Long or Permanent Re-engagement.

If the extension is for an intended period of full-time service in:

  • the Reserves for 12 months or more

    or

  • the Permanent Forces for any period of service (including a short-service commission)

Returning to the ADF in the reserves for more than 12 months or the permanent forces

If you are

  • receiving retirement pay

    or

  • invalidity pay

    or

  • you have a deferred benefit that you have not claimedand

    and

  • you intend to return to the ADF on Continuous Full-time Service (CFTS) in the Reserves Forces – for 12 months or more

    or

  • the Permanent Forces – for any period of full-time service in the ADF (including a short service commission)

What election must be made (s 61B(1))

You must elect* whether:

  • to re-join the DFRDB Scheme as a contributing Member; or
  • to join the MSB Scheme.

* Don’t make an election if you have joined the MSB Scheme previously. You will re-join the MSB Scheme automatically. Please complete a Form M100 if you are in this situation.

When the election must be made

You must elect before the engagement begins.

If the election is not made before re-entry

If you don’t make an election before your ADF service begins, you will become a Member of the MSB Scheme.

You will be treated as if you had elected to join the MSB Scheme.

This situation is final and irreversible and applies to all future periods of full-time service in the ADF. You can never go back to the DFRDB Scheme as a contributor.

Early Termination of an Engagement

If you are receiving retirement pay and you elect to re-join the DFRDB Scheme as a Contributing Member and your period of service ends before 12 months:

  • your contributions to the DFRDB scheme remain valid
  • you are still not entitled to retirement pay during your service
  • your benefit is recalculated on discharge to take account of any additional service.