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Member Frequently Asked Questions

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Due to the recent announcement regarding factor changes, KPPA has experienced a significant increase in requests for service purchase calculations and benefit estimates. In order to direct our efforts to providing the requested information as expediently as possible we are now limiting appointments with benefits counselors to only those members who have filed a valid Form 6000, Notification of Retirement. 

Requests for Retirement Estimates

Requests for retirement estimates will only be taken for members who are within two (2) years of retirement eligibility or for those who wish to make a service purchase. For all others, you may register for Member Self Service where you can use the Benefit Estimate Calculator to produce retirement estimates that include service credit and salary information specific to your individual account.

Scheduling Appointments

Virtual and phone appointments remain the most efficient way to access retirement counseling at KPPA. However, beginning May 2, 2022, in-person counseling appointments will be available in our Frankfort office, with priority reserved for members who have filed Form 6000, Notification of Retirement. Members are strongly encouraged to register for Member Self Service prior to scheduling an appointment. Members can also apply for retirement online using Member Self Service. Read more about Member Self Service.

Currently, all counseling appointments are reserved for members who have filed a valid Form 6000, Notification of Retirement, and valid date of birth verification.

Members can access their retirement accounts online at myretirement.ky.gov or call 1-800-928-4646. Documents can be submitted to our office using the upload feature in Self Service, by mail, or by fax at 502-696-8822.

Request a PIN

If you have lost or never received a PIN number please contact our office at 502-696-8800 or 1-800-928-4646 and it will be mailed to the address on record with KPPA. Please note that this option will cause a delay for the member in accessing the needed information while they wait for the PIN to arrive.  

 

To Speed Up the Process

Members and beneficiaries who have a valid email address on file with KPPA can also request a new PIN to be sent to them via encrypted email, so they will receive the PIN the same day. A member or beneficiary may request a PIN via encrypted email in Step 2 of the registration process for the self-service portal, in the Contact Information module within the self-service portal, or by contacting KPPA toll free at 1-800-928-4646. To request a new PIN through the self-service portal, click here to get started: https://kyret.ky.gov/Pages/Login.aspx

In today’s digital landscape, many of us have experienced the unsettling reality of having our personal information compromised. At KPPA, we have layers of security protocols that are designed to keep your personal information safe, but we need your help. Read more​.​

​House Bill 506 (2023 Regular Session) established a PLSO, with and without survivor rights, as a payment option. Effective January 1, 2024, members may choose this payment opt​ion, which includes a one-time lump-sum payment and a monthly payment. Learn more​.

Please be advised that if you would like a duplicate 1099R mailed to your address on file, you will need to contact our office at the toll-free number listed below. However, you may access a copy of your 1099R at any time by logging into your account at MyRetirement.ky.gov. If you have not already created an account, you will need to set up your own username and password and will need your PIN to validate any changes on your account.

In order to switch your direct deposit you will need to complete a Form 6130 - Authorization for Deposit of Retirement Payment, or make changes using the self service website. If you want to make the change by completing the 6130, you may print a copy, which is available on the KPPA website, or have the form mailed or faxed to you. Once completed, submit the form along with the required documentation. If you prefer, you can make the changes online via our Self Service website, which is located at MyRetirement.ky.gov; no additional paperwork needs to be submitted to KPPA.

Please be aware if you request a change to the account number or financial institution to which your next monthly payment is deposited, the change through self-service must be completed or a paper application must be received in the KPPA office before the 20th of the month. If your change is made or received by KPPA after the 20th of the month, your next monthly payment will be issued as a paper check, which will be mailed to your listed address; the requested change for the direct deposit to the new account will not be effective until the following month.

No. There are no provisions in State statutes or regulations that allow KPPA to administer loans from member accounts.

If you do not qualify for retirement benefits based on age and service credit at the time of your termination of employment, you may apply for a refund of your account contributions and interest. You are eligible to receive a refund of only the contributions you paid in the system and the accumulated interest on those funds. Employer contributions are not co-mingled with the funds in member accounts and are not refunded to the employee. The application for a refund of an account must be received in our office prior to a person returning to work for an agency participating in the same retirement system. By refunding your account, you forfeit eligibility for any future benefits, including health insurance and death benefits, based on the wages, contributions, and service credit associated with the refund. Refunds can take between 6-8 weeks to process.

If you begin participation on or after January 1, 2014, you will be eligible for both employee and employer credits if you are vested and request a refund.  

If you need your account balance, you may login to https://MyRetirement.ky.gov and request that an account balance letter be emailed or mailed to you. Another option is to call our office and request to speak with the first available Benefits Counselor. If you have your Personal Identification Number (PIN) when you call, the counselor will be able to provide your balance information by phone and may fax the information to you, if necessary. If you do not have or know your PIN, our office can mail your account balance to you or arrange to have it faxed.

 1.  Go to MyRetirement.ky.gov

This is the direct link to your Self Service account. You can also login from kyret.ky.gov.

2.  Connect to Your Account

Click the "Need to Register?" link just below the login button. To register, you will enter your Social Security number, date of birth, a valid email address, and KPPA-issued Personal Identification Number (PIN) so we can identify your account. Your PIN can be found on an Annual Statement issued prior to 2012. If you can't find your PIN, please call our office to request a new one.

Members and beneficiaries who have a valid email address on file with KPPA can also request a new PIN to be sent to them via encrypted email, so they will receive the PIN the same day. A member or beneficiary may request a PIN via encrypted email in Step 2 of the registration process for the Self Service portal, in the Contact Information module within the Self Service portal, or by contacting KPPA toll free at 1-800-928-4646. To request a new PIN through the Self Service portal, click here to get started: https://kyret.ky.gov/Pages/Login.aspx

3.  Create Login Information

We will ask you to create a User ID and Password, which you will use each time you login to your account. For additional security, you will answer a secret question. This answer will be used if you need to reset your User ID or Password.

Watch a video: How to Register for Self Service

When the setup steps are complete you are ready to manage your retirement account online!

Retiring is a multi-step process which you initiate by completing and submitting the Form 6000, Notification of Retirement, along with a copy of your birth certificate and your beneficiary’s birth certificate, to this office. After approximately 10 business days from the date of receipt of the Form 6000, KPPA mails an additional packet containing the forms necessary to start your retirement benefits, including the Form 6010, which is the form on which you will select one of the payment options for which you are eligible. All properly completed forms must be received by the end of the month prior to the month in which the first check can be issued.

Beginning with the 2013 Fiscal Year, Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs) will be given to retirees only if the retirement system in which the retiree has service is funded over 100 percent, and giving the COLA will not reduce the funding level of that system under 100 percent. Additionally, a COLA may be given if the General Assembly provides funding to pay for one.

Yes. There are more than 31 types of service an employee may purchase in order to increase service credit. Visit the Members section for a more detailed explanation.

If you begin participation on or after January 1, 2014, you are eligible to purchase only refunded or omitted service.

Several ways: Lump Sum Payment, Installment Purchase of Service (IPS), or a rollover/transfer from a qualified plan. See "Purchasing Credit and Service Types based on your Tier".

Yes. Effective July 15, 2010, pursuant to House Bill 289, KPPA began accepting QDROs for division of marital property, child support, and alimony/maintenance. It is up to the courts to determine whether retirement benefits are marital property and how they are to be divided. KPPA cannot offer legal advice. Therefore, members should consult with their own legal representative. 

Please refer to the Marital Status Change link for more information.

If you plan to return to employment or provide services in any capacity for a participating employer within 12 months of your effective retirement date, you should first obtain a written opinion from KPPA before starting work in order to avoid any negative consequences to your monthly retirement benefit. Members should submit a Form 6754 to KPPA explaining in what capacity the member will be working with the participating employer (i.e. as an employee, independent contractor, leased employee or volunteer).  The participating agency will also need to submit the appropriate form describing the work relationship. If you are unsure whether your new potential employer is a participating agency, please contact KPPA in writing for additional information. Please address your letter to the KPPA Legal Division and include any details of the employment, your Social Security number or KPPA Member ID, and signature in the letter. Once reviewed, the Legal Division will send a response in writing. You may mail your letter to the Kentucky Public Pensions Authority, 1260 Louisville Rd, Frankfort KY 40601 or fax your letter to 502-696-8822. In order to avoid any potential negative consequences to your retirement benefit, it is highly recommended that you wait for approval from KPPA before returning to work. Response time may vary depending on the volume of requests submitted. KPPA will provide a response no later than 30 days from the receipt of all necessary information.

After the first day of the month in which a retired member receives their first retirement payment, a retired member may not change their payment option or account beneficiary designation except in limited circumstances outlined in Kentucky Revised Statutes 61.542.

No, you cannot contribute more than the established contribution rate. However, you may be eligible to purchase service credit that could enhance your monthly benefit upon retirement. Please contact our office to discuss the service purchase options available.

You may call our office at 1-800-928-4646 to request a duplicate annual statement. Additionally, annual statements from 2012 forward are available on our self-service website, https://MyRetirement.ky.gov

Yes,  you can submit Tax Withholding changes by paper or electronically using Self Service.

You have the right to choose whether you want federal income tax withheld from your monthly retirement benefit payments. You may want to review your decision on withholdings periodically. From year to year, the amount of federal tax being withheld from your benefit payments (if any) may change due to changes in the withholding tables provided by the IRS. Your original withholding choice will remain in effect until you file new tax withholding forms with KPPA. Your decision on income tax withholding is an important one, and you should discuss it with a qualified tax advisor.

The Tax Reform Act of 1986 requires tax withholding from benefit payments if you are a U.S. citizen receiving your benefits in a foreign country. If you are not a U.S. citizen and are living in a foreign country, different income tax rules apply.

Change your Tax Withholding Online

Check stub information and 1099Rs are available online as soon as they have been processed, offering a preview of your payment, deductions and tax information.

Go to Self Service and change your federal tax withholding election at any time; however, you will need your Personal Identification Number (PIN).

Change Tax Withholding via Paper

Complete Form 6017 - Federal Income Tax Withholding Preference  and mail or fax it to KPPA.

Need a PIN or Lost it? 

See question #2 on this FAQ list.

KPPA does not offer any life insurance policy to our retirees. If you would like to have life insurance, you will need to obtain it individually. KPPA does offer a $5,000 Death Benefit to any member who retires with at least 48 months of service. Please refer to the  Death Benefit link for more information.

Many retirees, when actively employed and paying into KPPA, paid contributions with after-tax dollars. After-tax contributions were any regular employee contributions made prior to August 1982, or service purchases made with after-tax payroll deductions or via a check. When retired, these members have a portion of their monthly payments excluded from taxation, based on how much money they paid in with after-tax dollars. This excluded amount for the year is displayed in Box 5. If you add the amount in Box 5 with the amount in Box 2a (your taxable amount), you will have the total distribution for the year found in Box 1.

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