Retirement (Instructional Staff)

When am I eligible to retire?

You will need to check with the pension plan of which you are enrolled in.

What is the next thing I should do?

If you are a member of the Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) of the City of New York and the New York City Employees' Retirement System (NYCERS), you must check with the pension plan to:

confirm that you have met the eligibility requirements to retire,
review your employment history, and
request a pension estimate (if applicable) of what your pension will be at the time of your projected retirement date.

I am now ready to retire. What do I need to do?

There are a few steps you need to do with different areas:

Human Resource Services

For Instructional Staff: You must complete the City University of New York Application for Retirement Leave of Absence (TRAVIA). The form must be signed by the department chair and returned to the timekeeper in the Office of Human Resources, 1219 Boylan Hall.

For Classified Managerial Titles: You must complete the Classified Terminal Leave form and return it to the timekeeper in the Office of Human Resource Services, 1219 Boylan Hall.

Forms may be found online at our "Thinking About Retiring" page.

New York City Employees' Retirement System (NYCERS)

You must notify NYCERS of your intent to retire and file any applicable paperwork with NYCERS 30 to 90 days before your last day on payroll. NYCERS can be reached at 347.643.3000 or online, or you can visit the Customer Service Center, 340 Jay Street in Brooklyn.

Teachers' Retirement System of the City of New York (TRS)

It is your responsibility to notify TRS of your intent to retire, complete any required paperwork with TRS, and verify the exact timeframe to file the required paperwork. TRS can be reached at 888.869.2877 or at 55 Water Street, New York, NY 10041.

Optional Retirement Program (TIAA)

You must contact TIAA about filing paperwork for retirement. TIAA can be reached at 866.277.7957.

Union

You must contact the PSC-CUNY Welfare Fund at 212.354.1252 about pension counseling. Not applicable for Excluded Titles.

Social Security Administration

As required by the NYC Office of Labor Relations/Health Benefits Program, in order to continue retiree health insurance, you must have Medicare Part A and Part B only if you and eligible dependents are age 65 or over.

You must apply for your Social Security Benefits directly with the Social Security Administration. There are several ways to contact Social Security:

Visit your nearest Social Security office.
Call the Social Security Administration at 800.772.1213.
Go online.

Benefits Office

Two months prior to retirement date, you must:

Submit a completed Health Benefits Application to the Benefits Office.
If you are enrolling in a Medicare HMO Plan, it is your responsibility to contact the plan and request the enrollment form.
Submit a signed copy of the Medicare Card with Part A and Part B only if you and eligible dependents are age 65 or over.
Submit a copy of the receipt from you pension plan indicating you have filed for retirement. Not applicable for members of the Optional Retirement Plan (TIAA).

Will there be any delays in coverage from active to retiree status?

Yes. However, once The City of New York Office of Labor Relations Health Benefits Program processes the retiree health insurance application, it will be retroactive to the retirement date.