The form you use to request a withdrawal from your account will be determined by the type of withdrawal you want to make. In most cases, you can access and submit your form in your online Defined Contribution Plan account or mobile app.
The Pennsylvania Treasury issues payments from the plan on three days each month. See the distribution schedule for those dates. In order for most withdrawals to be issued on a particular date, please submit your withdrawal form at least ten days in advance.
Retiring or Leaving State Employment? If you are retiring or leaving state employment, don’t submit distribution requests to Empower until you see your leave payout or any lump sum rollovers from your pension deposited into the account you designated on your retirement applicaiton. Empower cannot distribute money from your account until they receive an employment termination notice from your employer. When you see your leave payout and/or lump sum rollover deposited in your account, you’ll know that your employment termination has been processed.
NOTE: A debt to your employer (e.g. overdrawn leave or unreturned equipment/uniforms), will delay the termination notice and your distribution. If you have an outstanding debt that exceeds the amount you expect to receive in your final pay, and you work for an employer under the Governor’s jurisdiction*, direct questions regarding why there is an overpayment to your Human Resources Office or the HR Service Center at (866) 377-2672. Questions regarding how to repay the debt should be directed to the Bureau of Commonwealth Payroll Operations (BCPO) Accounts Receivable Section at (717) 787-3377 or email at RA-OBOVERPAYMENTS@pa.gov.
Total Withdrawal Warning
If you are a straight Defined Contribution Plan participant (you opted out of the default Hybrid Plan and have no pension component to your retirement benefit) and you take a total withdrawal from your investment account, your eligibility points will be removed from your participant record. If you return to work for a SERS-participating employer, you will have to earn three eligibility points (work for three years) to be “vested” or eligible for the contributions your employer made toward your investment account.
If, on the other hand, you take a partial withdrawal or no withdrawal from your investment account, your eligibility points will remain in your participant record. In this case, if you return to work for a SERS-participating employer, you will begin adding new eligibility points to those already in your participant record.
I am … |
I want to … |
Form to Use |
Where to Access Form |
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Retiring or leaving |
Make a one-time withdraw paid |
Separation from |
Online DC account, |
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Retired or no longer |
Make a one-time withdraw paid |
Separation from |
Online DC account, |
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Retired or no longer |
Establish regularly scheduled installment payments to me |
Installment Payments |
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Retired or no longer |
Change my installment payment |
Installment Payments |
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Retired or no longer |
Withdraw the required
minimum amount -- the “required minimum |
Required Minimum Distribution Request |
Online DC account, |
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The ex-spouse |
Withdraw money from the |
Alternate Payee |
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The beneficiary |
Withdraw money from the |
Beneficiary Account Withdrawal Request |
Online DC account, |
*Employees of the Liquor Control Board, Office of the Attorney General, Gaming Control Board, Public Utility Commission, Auditor General and all other agencies not under the Governor's jurisdiction should contact their local Human Resource office for assistance.