November 13, 2026 — I’m writing this month’s column following a very successful 48th annual PEF Convention!
Retirees and active PEF members are rooted in solidarity when it comes to our concerns, and one of those concerns is the length of time it takes to get a final average salary calculation when you are newly retired. It can take up to five years for a retiree to get their final average salary calculation right now.
PEF Retiree Coordinator Karen Danish and I, with the help of PEF’s Legislative Department Director Patrick Lyons and Political Director Leah Gonzalez, met recently with administrators from the Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) with the goal of getting our questions answered and concerns addressed.
We discussed the length of time it has been taking for retirees to get their calculation and the inability of members to reach a representative at the OSC call center to discuss issues or problems getting into the website. Karen and I reiterated the frustration of members who feel the wait is too long to know what their monthly pension will be.
OSC responded that several issues have caused a backlog.
Some of the delays stretch all the way back to the COVID pandemic, when it took time to implement work-from-home arrangements and protect information during them. Many employees then did not return after COVID, which caused the current staffing shortage. Staffing woes were exacerbated when Civil Service did not hold exams, which made rehiring a problem. Once hiring resumed, a necessary training period followed.
OSC also pointed to delays caused by two rounds of union contracts that require careful recalculations for members who retired during those contracts and are entitled to the economic benefits secured by those agreements. Officials said this is a time-consuming process needed to ensure accuracy. The new round of contracts and Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) regarding service pay and work performed at a higher grade than paid will also trigger recalculations.
OSC representatives said the agency has been working on the backlog and has reduced it by 25 percent (now a wait of three years or less) and will continue efforts to reduce it further. In the meantime, most pension estimates are 95 percent accurate, members lose no money, and they are paid retroactive to their date of retirement once the final review is complete.
Call center access is another problem because of volume and staffing. To help with this, OSC said it is opening a second call center in Rochester that will employ 20 staff. The agency is already hiring, but will need time for training. It is also working on systems to facilitate more online transactions, but growing security concerns, including those around artificial intelligence and chatbots, require heightened safeguards to prevent fraud, theft of information, or theft of the pension itself.
Another area of delay is processing. It is the responsibility of each employing agency to submit final time and salary information for retiring employees to OSC. Often, that information is late or inaccurate, adding to the processing time. OSC said it is working to streamline the process and make it easier for agencies to comply in a timely manner. PEF’s Retiree department can contact OSC if a problem is escalating, and OSC is always willing to help.
Staff at OSC are responsive to our needs and work closely with us on issues. Computers are wonderful, but you can’t just push a button and have it done; every single calculation needs a personal review. PEF members working for OSC do that review.
It was a good, informative meeting. OSC officials were honest with us and are as frustrated as our members are. They are trying to resolve this as much as we want it resolved. Staff in the retiree office are always available and willing to talk to and help members, both retired and planning for retirement. They can be reached during the workday at (800) 342-4306, ext. 288.
This is just one example of how your Retiree team advocates for our members and helps with the transition from work to a secure retirement. We are retiree activists who continue to educate and engage both members and future members. As a PEF member, you should join our Retiree team when you retire. Please visit the PEF website for more information.
In Solidarity,
Jim Carr