That thread is rather old (except for the past few posts) but I still don't see any post on it where the member has been given the remainder of the year that he earned the status, the following two years, plus the first three months of the fourth year.

Yet this is what has happened to me twice (obviously, I am not complaining).

I also believe that I have seen a few scattered posts in various threads in which someone mentions getting that extra year recently.