Thinking of Retiring? (Adjuncts)
Please be aware that Adjunct CUNY Employees, Teaching or Non-teaching, are not eligible for Retiree Health Insurance Benefits under the NYC Health Benefits Program or PSC-CUNY Welfare Fund.
How do I get ready to retire?
Before making an appointment with the Retirement Counselor, please contact your retirement system and verify your total service is up to date. Service records are not automatically provided from CUNY to TRS. This is a manual process and members need to proactively contact TRS to make sure all service records (from all CUNY colleges where you have worked) have been sent to them before you are thinking of starting the pension payments.
After your Total Service is updated with TRS, then answer the Pre-Retirement questionnaire and email the information to Welfare Fund Retiree Benefits counselor Sandra Zaconeta.
When to file for the pension to begin?
Adjuncts who wish to start collecting their TRS pension payments should apply for the pension to begin once they have finished the semester (gone off payroll) if they want to get service credit for that semester. This is true especially if the Adjunct intends to start collecting the pension but continue working with CUNY. You must make sure your “retirement date” is when you are off of payroll before you resume work in the following semester.
Adjuncts must verify their total service is up to date with TRS prior to filing to the TRS pension to begin. This is because the service and payroll information are not automatically provided to TRS from CUNY (this is a manual process). TRS will tell you if they have no service records or the date of the last update from HR (normally this happens when a TRS member requests these updates themselves). You should also tell TRS all the CUNY colleges where you have worked in order to make sure they have service records (and verify you have paid your mandatory employee contributions) from each campus where you have worked since you became a TRS member.
Many of your questions must be directed to CUNY HR, the Teachers Retirement System or TIAA. Here’s a list of those questions and who to contact.
For information on the retirement process, Travia leave, retiree benefits, forms, etc., begin with the Benefits Office at your campus or workplace. CUNY holds pre-retirement information seminars throughout the year. Your benefits officer will have the dates.
For information on the retirement process, please join one of the education classes/pension seminars offered by the retirement systems
TRS: https://www.trsnyc.org/memberportal/Resources/educational
NYCERS: https://www.nycers.org/pension-seminars