If you return to work for the Department of Education as an F-status employee and continue to collect a pension, you will find that you are paying union dues both as a retiree (from your pension check) and as an employee (from your payroll check). This occurs because two separate agencies — the DOE and the Teachers’ Retirement System — are involved. The DOE does not know you retired, and it automatically deducts dues from every employee represented by the UFT.

To address the issue, the UFT developed an automated dues refund system so retired members do not have to request a refund.

Beginning in early August, upon receipt of all the dues records for UFT members working for the DOE or other city agencies, the UFT Accounting Department will automatically calculate a refund for all eligible retired members and send them a check. All of these transactions will typically be completed by the end of October.

This coming fall, refunds will be processed for the period of July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. The refund is the amount of dues collected by the UFT that exceeds one full active dues.

If you have any questions, please call the UFT Membership Department’s dues refund unit at 212‑598‑9248.