This page will help you to find information about COVID-19 as it relates to your NYSLRS benefits.
A better death benefit is available to eligible beneficiaries of members and recent retirees who die of COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Certain beneficiaries may be eligible to receive a monthly pension benefit instead of a one-time payment.
For additional information, please read our Enhanced Death Benefit for Survivors of COVID-19 Victims blog post.
NYSLRS provides a Special Durable Power of Attorney form that is specific to retirement transactions and meets all New York State legal requirements. It allows your agent to act immediately in case of emergency, hospitalization or unexpected illness.
Our Power of Attorney page provides additional information you may find helpful.
When you die, the law requires NYSLRS to pay your death benefit to the last beneficiaries you designated. That is why it is so important to check your NYSLRS beneficiary designations periodically.
The fastest way to view or update your beneficiaries is with Retirement Online.
If you are eligible and planning to retire, you don’t need to delay filing.
You can use Retirement Online to file for a service retirement benefit. See how easy and fast it is to file using Retirement Online.
If you become seriously ill from COVID-19, you may want to file for retirement in order to provide a continuing pension benefit to your beneficiary if you were to die.
Visit our Disability Benefits page for help finding the right application and to learn more about the process.
You don’t need to wait to receive your pension check in the mail or worry about getting to a bank to deposit your check. Sign up for our Direct Deposit Program and get your money quickly and safely.
In response to the COVID-19 emergency, NYS executive orders suspended the earnings limit. The last order expired in June 2023. This means for most retirees under the age of 65, the $35,000 limit applies to the entire calendar year starting 2024. The earnings limit for retirees employed by school districts and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), however, is suspended through June 30, 2024. The earnings limit suspension for school employees does not apply to retirees who work for a college, university or charter school. For more information, please read our Retiree Earnings Limit blog post.
In most cases, you can use Retirement Online instead of mailing in forms or calling. Take a look at some of Retirement Online’s features.
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