A Guide for Retirees

Our publication A Guide for Retirees is a valuable resource to read if you’re retired or planning to retire soon. This guide details the continuing benefits and services NYSLRS provides for its retirees.

What’s Inside A Guide for Retirees?

The first section of A Guide for Retirees outlines your benefits in clear, straightforward language. It provides an estimate of when to expect your first pension check, along with a couple reminders to help avert any delay in your payment. There’s also a brief description of how we calculate your benefit and information about what to do if you believe your benefit was calculated incorrectly.

Your NYSLRS retirement benefit will provide you with monthly payments for the rest of your life. But that doesn’t mean the amount of your pension won’t change. For example, your benefit will increase once you are eligible for a cost-of-living adjustment. Signing up for Medicare or getting a divorce can also change your benefit amount.

The booklet also describes benefits that your survivors may be eligible for, such as the post-retirement death benefit.

A Guide for Retirees

Services We Offer

A Guide for Retirees describes services NYSLRS provides for retirees, including:

  • Retirement Online. A fast and secure way to do business with NYSLRS.
  • Automated Information Line. You can call 24 hours a day, seven days a week to request a form, check your COLA eligibility, get general tax information and more.
  • Direct Deposit. Have your pension deposited directly into your bank account.
  • Pension Verification Letters. You can create your own in Retirement Online or we can send one at your request.
  • Individual Consultations. You can discuss your benefits with one of our information representatives in person or over the phone.

Your Obligations

Your benefits come with certain responsibilities. Most importantly, you need to let us know if your address changes. Even if you’re getting your pension through direct deposit, we need to have your correct address so we can send you tax documents and other important information.

This section also reminds you to keep your beneficiary information current, contact us if your check is lost or stolen, and review your withholding regularly.

Other Publications

Read our recent blog posts about other NYSLRS publications:

18 thoughts on “A Guide for Retirees

    1. NYSLRS Post author

      The Single Life Allowance option does not provide pension payments to any beneficiaries after you die. When you chose your payment option at retirement, you had 30 days from the start of the month following the retirement date to change your option election. After those 30 days, it cannot be changed.

      You may, however, be able to leave a lump-sum death benefit to a beneficiary. Visit our website for more information about retiree death benefits. If you have question, please email our customer service representatives using the secure email form on our website (http://www.emailNYSLRS.com). One of them will review your account and respond to your questions. Filling out the secure form allows us to safely contact you about your personal account information.

      Reply
  1. Michael

    When you retire and go back to work the limit is 30,000 a year but someone told me that was increased , is this true ?

    Reply
    1. NYSLRS Post author

      Under current State law, most NYSLRS retirees can earn up to $30,000 per calendar year from public employment without a reduction in their pension. There is generally no earnings limit once the retiree is 65.

      Both houses of the Legislature have approved a bill that would increase the earnings cap to $35,000 starting in 2020. However, the bill must be signed by the Governor to become law. To our knowledge, the Governor has not signed this legislation.

      Reply
      1. Willam Schaefer

        Clarification please. “generally no earnings limit once the retiree is 65”.
        Do we need individual permission?

        Reply
        1. NYSLRS Post author

          For some retirees (for example, certain elected officials and disability retirees) earnings may be limited beyond age 65. For more information, please read our booklet What If I Work After Retirement?

          For information specific to your circumstances, we suggest you contact our customer service representatives. You can email them using the secure form on our website (http://www.emailNYSLRS.com). One of our representatives will review your account and respond to your questions. Filling out the secure form allows us to safely contact you about your personal account information.

          Reply
    1. NYSLRS

      Survivors can report a retiree’s death by phone. (Call 1-866-805-0990, press 3, then press 1.)

      Please note that before we can pay any death benefits, we’ll need an original, certified death certificate, which should be mailed to NYSLRS, 110 State Street, Albany, NY 12244-0001.

      Our publication Getting Your Affairs in Order and A Guide for Survivors provides step-by-step guidance about what should be done now and after a retiree’s death.

      Reply
        1. NYSLRS

          NYSLRS does not administer health insurance programs for its retirees.

          For New York State retirees and some municipal retirees, the New York State Department of Civil Service administers the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP). To learn more, please visit the Department of Civil Service’s website at http://www.cs.ny.gov, call them at 1-800-833-4344 or 518-457-5754, or email them at pio@cs.ny.gov.

          If you retired from a public employer that did not participate in NYSHIP, your former employer’s benefits administrator should be able to answer your questions.

          Reply
    1. NYSLRS Post author

      NYSLRS does not provide dental coverage for its retirees. Some NYSLRS retirees receive this benefit through the unions that represented them during their working years. If you were a union member, you could try contacting that union for more information.

      Reply
    1. NYSLRS Post author

      You can find a copy of this publication online. The link is http://www.osc.state.ny.us/retire/publications/vo1705.php.

      For those who are planning to retire soon, NYSLRS also publishes How Do I Prepare to Retire? This booklet describes some of the resources available to you as you plan for retirement and takes you step by step through the retirement application process. It is available at http://www.osc.state.ny.us/retire/publications/vo1709.php.

      You can also order a print copy of our publications by emailing our customer service representatives using the secure email form on our website (http://www.emailNYSLRS.com). Please be sure to include your current address in your email.

      Reply

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