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Frequently Asked Questions

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A list of the most commonly asked questions.

I am the spouse or family member of a UFT retiree who has passed away. What do I need to do?

You have our condolences. There are a number of steps you need to take. You can find out what to do when a retiree passes away on the UFT website. If you have further questions, please contact the UFT-RTC Pension Department at 212-598-9536.

I want to attend a pension clinic. How do I find about upcoming sessions, and how can I register?

See our page listing all current pension clinics being offered with a link to register: https://www.uft.org/your-benefits/pension/pension-clinics.

How and when should I make a Final Pension Consultation appointment?

You are entitled to only one final consultation during your career, so most members complete them in the final months of work.

To make an appointment, call 212-331-6311 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Meetings are scheduled in the borough office most convenient to you.  If you are a BERS member, call 929-305-3800 to schedule an appointment with a BERS representative.

During the final pension consultation you will be able to: 

  • Estimate your retirement allowance;
  • Discuss using the Teachers' Retirement System or the Board of Education Retirement System as a means for protecting heirs and beneficiaries;
  • Discuss removing contributions, where permissible, from the system at retirement;
  • Aid you in completing the retirement application;
  • Learn about health and welfare fund benefits;
  • Answer all of your other retirement questions.
How and when can I make a Preliminary Pension Consultation appointment?

If you have several questions or are planning a career change, resignation or retirement, you should make an appointment for a preliminary pension consultation at one of the UFT's borough offices. At this private consultation, you will receive an estimate of your retirement allowance and answers to your questions about retirement benefits. We advise that everyone have a minimum of one preliminary borough consultation before your final consultation. You may have more than one preliminary consultation during your career. To make a preliminary appointment, call 212-331-6311 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

What are the options for my TDA (tax-deferred annuity) when I retire?

On your QPP retirement application, you must decide how your TDA funds will be distributed. You may receive your TDA funds as an annuity separate from your QPP retirement allowance. You may instead elect TDA Deferral status, and thereby defer distribution of your TDA funds past the initial payability date of your QPP retirement allowance. A third choice is to make a Direct Withdrawal, Direct Rollover, or Direct Transfer of all or part of your TDA funds; if you make a partial withdrawal, you may annuitize or defer your balance. For more information, please see the TDA Options at Retirement brochure.

You should not make a decision without first discussing these options with a UFT pension consultant. 

How does a dependent or spouse claim pension funds if a UFT member passes?

If they are the retiree's pension beneficiary, they can contact the Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) and the UFT Pension Department.  

A member's beneficiary (or representative) must first submit a certified or original death certificate to TRS for the member; (s)he must also submit a Claimant's Statement (code DB17). TRS will inform them of additional documentation and forms they may have to file.

For more information, please see the Guide to Death Benefits for Beneficiaries of Retired Members or the Guide to Death Benefits for Beneficiaries of Non-Retired Members.

How much will my pension be when I retire?

It depends upon your years of service, your age of retirement, date of appointment, final average salary, and your pension tier, so it is highly individual. Attend a pension workshop or clinic to learn more. See upcoming events on the UFT website at: https://www.uft.org/your-benefits/pension/pension-clinics. 

You are entitled to an individual preliminary pension consultation any time before you retire to answer your questions and get an estimate of your pension payments and other benefits. Call your UFT borough office for an appointment.

How can I find out how many years of credited service I have in the system? Is there a place online where I can see this information?

Members should access their online Annual Benefit Statement from the TRS website at https://trsnyc.org/.  Once a member sets up a TRS account, they can access these items and find a record of their total service history.

How do you "buy back time" and purchase prior service credit?

Members can purchase service credit for certain employment they had before being employed by the NYCDOE. For your service to be eligible, the work had to have been rendered while you were in public employment in New York City or New York State. Generally, any New York City or New York State service rendered prior to your membership date may count as pensionable service. 
 

Members should contact TRS as soon as they are appointed to buy back any prior NYC or NYS service. 

Where can I find my annual benefits statement and what information does that document contain?

The Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) issues this individualized report each fall to in-service members and members on a leave of absence for up to seven school years. The statement summarizes the members' Total Service Credit and lists their designated beneficiaries. Benefit estimates and benefit projections are also provided to certain retirement-eligible members. This information is reported as of the previous June 30.

To see your statement, go to the TRS page at: https://www.trsnyc.org/.