Member Annual Statement

Member Annual Statement

Your Member Annual Statement provides a snapshot of your NYSLRS membership and benefits as of March 31, the end of the State fiscal year. Statements are available in Retirement Online sooner than printed copies are mailed.

  • Mailed Delivery: We mail printed Statements by the end of June.
  • Email Delivery (Online Availability): We make Statements available in Retirement Online at the beginning of May each year.

For up-to-date account information throughout the year, sign in to Retirement Online.

 


Use Retirement Online to Get Your Statement

To view, save or print your Statement:

  • Sign in to Retirement Online.
  • Look under My Account Summary.
  • Click View My Member Annual Statement button.
  • If Retirement System is blank, click Look Up icon and select ERS or PFRS from dialog box.
  • Click Look Up icon next to Calendar Year field and select an option from dialog box. (Note: 2021-2025 are currently available online.)
  • Click Generate MAS button.

The document will download on to your computer.

 


Get an Email Notification When Your Statement is Available Online

You can get your Statement online sooner than printed copies are mailed. Update your delivery preference to email, and when your Statement is available in Retirement Online, we’ll send an email notifying you.

  • Sign in to Retirement Online.
  • Look under My Profile Information.
  • Click update link next to ‘Member Annual Statement by.’
  • Choose Email from dropdown.

Be sure the email address listed in your Retirement Online profile is current. (See below.)

If you choose to receive your Statement by email, you will not receive a printed copy in the mail. Regardless of your delivery preference, you will be able to get your Statement online at the beginning of May.

 


Update Your Contact Information to Make Sure You Receive Your Statement

We distribute Statements depending on your delivery preference and using the mailing or email address we have on file, so it’s important to make sure your information is current. Retirement Online is the fastest and most convenient way to review your contact information and update it if needed.

 


 

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have questions about your Statement, you can use one of the buttons below to find the answers you need.

Personal Information

How do I change my name?

To change your last name only:

  • Sign in to Retirement Online.
  • Look under My Profile Information.
  • Click update next to your name.
  • Upload supporting documentation (a list of acceptable documents will appear).

You can change your first or last name by mailing a Name Change Notice (RS5483). If the name change is for a reason other than a change in marital status, you will need to provide a photocopy of:

  • A name change court order;
  • A court-issued document of the name change; or
  • A government-issued document showing the name change.

If needed, you can also change or correct your sex identification.

What is a NYSLRS ID?

This alphanumeric string is your unique NYSLRS identifier, which is assigned to protect your privacy and ensure your personal information is secure. Use it when you call or write NYSLRS.

How do I correct my date of birth?

Make a copy of your Statement, circle the mistake and send it with a signed letter requesting the change. You must include proof of your correct date of birth, such as a photocopy of your: 

You can fax your request to 518-474-9438 or mail it to:

NYSLRS
Member Enrollment Unit
110 State Street, 5th Floor
Albany, NY 12244

How do I correct my date of membership?

Make a copy of your Statement, circle the mistake and send it with a signed letter requesting the change. 

You can fax your request to 518-474-9438 or mail it to:

NYSLRS
Member Enrollment Unit
110 State Street, 5th Floor
Albany, NY 12244

We will contact your employer for supporting documentation, if needed.

What is my Enrolled Retirement Plan?

The code listed after your “Enrolled Retirement Plan” indicates which retirement plan you are in. For example, most members will see the code A15, which means you are in the retirement plan covered under Article 15 of the Retirement and Social Security Law.

You can use your Enrolled Retirement Plan code to find your NYSLRS retirement plan publication. It’s an essential resource that explains your NYSLRS benefits in detail—how long you’ll need to work to receive a pension, how your benefit is determined, what death and disability benefits may be available and more. You should consult it throughout your career, but it’s especially important to read it as you prepare for retirement.

Can I use my Statement as verification of my NYSLRS account?

If you need a letter verifying your NYSLRS account (for example, if you are applying for a mortgage), we recommend using Retirement Online to generate a verification letter based on the most up-to-date account information.

Beneficiaries

How do I view or update my beneficiaries?

The fastest way to view or update your beneficiaries is in Retirement Online. You should also review their contact information so we can find them when needed.

Contributions

Do my contributions affect my pension?

NYSLRS pensions are defined benefit plans, also known as traditional pension plans. When you retire, you will receive a monthly pension payment for the rest of your life. Your pension will be calculated using a preset formula based on your earnings and years of service—it will not be based on the individual contributions you paid into the system. Member contributions support the benefits earned by current and future retirees and are an important asset of the Common Retirement Fund, which holds and invests the money used to pay NYSLRS benefits.

Sign in to Retirement Online to check your current contribution balance, which earns interest annually and determines the amount you would be eligible to borrow if you decided to take a NYSLRS loan. If you were to die in service, your contribution balance would be paid to your beneficiary, in addition to any death benefit your beneficiary is eligible for.

Does my employer contribute toward my pension?

Defined benefit plans are supported by contributions from both members and employers. Employers make annual contributions to the Common Retirement Fund, which holds and invests the money used to pay NYSLRS benefits. Employer contributions are based on the salaries of all their employees and the pension plans offered to their employees. The contribution rates paid by employers are set annually by the NYSLRS Chief Actuary and approved by the Comptroller.

Death Benefits

Why doesn’t my Statement list my estimated death benefit? How do I find out the amount?

Here are two common reasons why your estimated death benefit is not listed on your Statement:

  • You have less than one year of total service credit; or
  • You are off the payroll of a participating employer and have less than five years of service credit.

Find your retirement plan publication for information about how your death benefit would be calculated.

To find out your estimated death benefit amount, mail a written request to:

NYSLRS
Benefit Calculation and Disbursement Services
110 State Street
Albany, NY 12244

Please include your NYSLRS ID (provided on your Statement) and your signature in your letter.

Earnings & Service Credit

How do I verify that my service credit is correct?

The “Total Credited Service” listed in your statement is as of March 31, 2025.

Sign in to Retirement Online to view your current total estimated service credit, including your employment history and reported earnings for the last five years.

How do I correct/change my earnings information?

We receive your earnings information from your employer. The amount listed is the pensionable earnings they paid you during the State fiscal year (April 1, 2024 through March 31, 2025). The earnings information in your Statement may not be what you were expecting:

  • Depending on your retirement plan and tier, certain payments (for example, meal and uniform allowance) cannot be used in calculating your pension and are not included in the salary shown on your Statement; or
  • Your employer may not have reported your March earnings to us in time to include them in your Statement.
  • The information in your Statement is for the fiscal year, so it will not match the calendar year earnings in your W-2 tax form.

If you feel your earnings information is not correct, contact your payroll office. If there is a discrepancy, your employer must send us an adjustment report requesting a change.

How do I request additional service credit?

If you worked for a public employer before joining NYSLRS or if you were in the military, you may be eligible to request additional service. You should submit your request as early in your career as possible when records we need to verify your service are more readily available. And the sooner you purchase your credit, the less it will generally cost, and it allows you time to pay for the credit, if necessary. We must receive your request for previous service credit before your date of retirement.

To request credit for additional service:

Projected Retirement Benefit

How is my projected monthly retirement benefit calculated?

For most members, your Statement provides a projected monthly retirement benefit to help with retirement planning. 

The amount is an automated calculation based on your retirement plan and reported earnings through March 31, 2025. For most members who have: 

  • Not yet reached full retirement age, your estimate is based on your projected service credit at your full retirement age.
  • Already reached full retirement age, your estimate is based on your actual service credit using a retirement date of March 31, 2025. 

Sign in to Retirement Online to estimate your pension based on the current earnings and service information we have on file for you. You can fine-tune your estimate or see how different choices would affect your benefit by entering:

To save or print your estimate, you may have to disable popup blockers.

Why is the projected benefit on my Statement different from the estimate I received from a pre-retirement consultation or in the mail?

The projected benefit in your Statement is an automated calculation that only uses information we have on file for you as of March 31, 2025. During a pre-retirement consultation, customer service representatives may add information supplied by you, such as sick leave accruals and lump sum payments, to the calculation of the projection. This information has not yet been reported by your employer, so it is not included in the projected benefit provided in your Statement.

Receiving Your Statement

How do I get a reprint or copy of my Statement?

Statements are available in Retirement Online.  (Note: 2021-2025 are currently available online.)

You may request a reprint for 2025 after the mailing is complete, usually in July, using our secure contact form (select Member Annual Statement from the Topic dropdown). Your reprint should be mailed within 2 to 4 weeks.

Why didn’t I receive my Statement?

Here are the most common reasons why you may not have received your Statement:

  • Your Statement was mailed but the address we have on file for you was not current. Update your contact information to make sure you receive your Statement.
  • You had an open retirement case before May 1, which means you will be retiring and will no longer be an active member.
  • You withdrew your membership or transferred it to another public retirement system, which means you are no longer an active member.
  • Your membership benefits have been suspended pending compliance with one or more NYSLRS requirements (for example, a record of activities is required for some elected and appointed officials).
  • Your membership is no longer active (you were not vested when you left public employment, and you have not been employed by a participating employer for seven or more years).
  • You joined NYSLRS during the fiscal year, but your employer did not report any earnings or days worked.
  • You joined NYSLRS, but your enrollment wasn’t completed by March 31.

Why didn’t I receive an email notifying me that my Statement was available?

If you chose email as your delivery preference and didn’t receive an email notifying you, the email address we have on file for you may not be correct. Update your contact information to make sure you receive your next Statement.

If your email address is correct, please check your spam or junk folder. If you’re using a work email address, the email server may also be blocking our emails. We recommend using a personal email address you will have access to before and after you retire, not a work address.