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Getting Your First Annuity Payment

How long does it take to receive my initial annuity check?

SERS encourages you to complete all of your retirement-related documents before your termination date arrives.  After you do, SERS and your agency still have more work to do before we can issue your first payment – work that can’t even begin until after your last day on the job.

As a result, you should expect it to take approximately eight weeks from your termination/retirement date until you receive your first payment.

For Commonwealth employees, your "after-the-fact" pay (if applicable) is normally paid two weeks after termination.
 
Overdrawn leave and/or agency debts will have a significant adverse impact on this time frame.
When paid, your annuity payments are made retroactive to your retirement date.
Normally, your first check will be an amount representing all of the retirement annuity payments due you from the date of your retirement to the end of the month in which SERS makes payment.  If you elected to withdraw your accumulated contributions and interest (an “Option 4 withdrawal”), your first check will include the amount of the withdrawal. Read more at sers.state.pa.us

If you live in the following cities and need annuity advice, you should contact our Pennsylvania Annuity specialists as soon as possible: