Do you have plans to retire soon? If so, be aware that you must maintain your NYSUT membership as a retiree in order to continue participating in NYSUT Member Benefits-endorsed programs.

Retiree membership with the UFT provides you with prepaid retiree membership in NYSUT and the American Federation of Teachers (one of NYSUT’s national affiliates).

Payroll to pension deduction

The transition from payroll deduction of NYSUT Member Benefits-endorsed programs — such as insurance, legal and financial programs — to pension deduction is NOT immediate and automatic. However, if you follow the steps below, your transition should be a smooth process. Check off each step as it occurs:

• Contact Member Benefits at 1-800-626-8101 when you know your definite retirement date; Member Benefits will then communicate that information to the plan administrator(s) of programs you participate in.
• Call the plan administrator(s) to verify your address on record so you can be billed at home once your payroll deductions stop; Member Benefits can provide you with the necessary contact information.
• You should receive a bill for each program you had on payroll deduction. If you do not receive a bill, contact the program administrator to verify that a bill was mailed to your proper address. Any discounts you enjoyed with payroll deduction will continue for up to one year with your home billing. Pension deduction yields the same discounts and additional coverages as payroll deduction.
• Pay each bill you receive. It is necessary to be on home billing for one billing cycle so that your pension system has time to put your regular retirement allowance payment in place.

The New York City Teachers’ Retirement System issues advance payments prior to sending your regular retirement allowance payments. Deductions cannot be taken from advance payments; they can only be taken from your regular retirement allowance payments.

Please note that you must be receiving your regular retirement allowance payments from the TRS or the New York City Board of Education Retirement System to be eligible for pension deduction of Member Benefits-endorsed programs.

• When you receive the bill for the next premium, it should include a Pension Deduction Authorization Card. Complete and sign the card and send it back with the bill to the plan administrator in lieu of payment.

If you do not receive a Pension Deduction Authorization Card with your second bill, contact Member Benefits for one to be sent to you.

Upon receipt of your Pension Deduction Authorization Card, the plan administrator transmits the details to Member Benefits regarding pension deduction of your program(s). Member Benefits then submits this information to your pension system to start the deductions with your next regular retirement allowance payment. This process must be done for each program that you participate in. Contact Member Benefits if you have any questions along the way.

Please allow time for all of the steps above to be completed.

Leaving your bargaining unit?

If you are in-service and leaving the bargaining unit of the UFT (no longer working for the Department of Education) at the end of the school year for any reason other than retirement and are participating in any Member Benefits-endorsed programs, you must join NYSUT as an Associate Member-Continuing NYSUT Member Benefits Coverage to continue participating in those programs. However, payroll deduction is not available for Associate Members.

Please contact NYSUT Member Benefits at 1-800-626-8101 or visit memberbenefits.nysut.org if you have any questions during the transition from payroll to pension deduction or for information about contractual endorsement arrangements with providers of endorsed programs.

For questions about continuing membership with the UFT as a retiree, contact the UFT Membership Department at 1-212-598-6855.

Agency fee payers to NYSUT are eligible to participate in NYSUT Member Benefits-endorsed programs.