Retirement - Frequently Asked Questions

Sammy the Slug reading in a hammock at the beach

You’ve had a long, successful career at UC and now you’re thinking of the next phase: retirement. The process is fairly easy, but it’s important to plan ahead as the retirement process can be time consuming. You may want to consult a financial expert to ensure a comfortable worry-free retirement.

You can retire and receive UC benefits any time after you become eligible — that is, when you have at least five years of UC Retirement Plan service credit and reach age 50 or 55, depending on which tier of the pension plan you’re in.

Once you’ve decided to retire, you’ll complete the application process and the election of your benefits through the University's Retirement Administration Service Center (UC RASC). The entire retirement process takes about three months for most members. You can also watch UC’s Preparing for Retirement video presentation.

The following Frequently Asked Questions below are intended as a guide and are not intended to replace retirement counseling from a UC professional.

**Note** Use your back button between questions for easier navigation.

How do I confirm that my documents were received by the Retirement Administration Service Center?

Call RASC at 1-800-888-8267 and select option #1

How do I request tax documents from the Retirement Administration Service Center?

Call RASC at 1-800-888-8267 and select option #2

I am a survivor/ beneficiary of a retiree who has passed. What should I do?

Call RASC at 1-800-888-8267 select option #3

I am a retiree and have questions regarding my health insurance, what should I do?

Call RASC at 1-800-888-8267 and select option #4

I need to know the status of my retirement process. What should I do?

Call RASC at 1-800-888-8267 and select option #5

What is the status of my University of California Retirement Plan?

How do I retire?

Due to remote work requirements, members must follow instructions for the remote retirement process via the on-line tool UC RAYS. Please refer to this helpful document which gives you step-by-step instructions regarding the retirement process.

What is UC RAYS?

UC RAYS (Retirement At Your Service) is the portal to the new pension administration record-keeping system. UC RAYS was launched in March 2019. UC RAYS has increased security and Secure Messaging tools to transmit questions and documents to your UC Retirement Counselor.

UC RAYS replaced At Your Service Online (AYSO) for many functions. AYSO continues to contain some historical tax form information.

How do I use UC RAYS?

See the Getting Help With UC Retirement At Your Service (UC RAYS) page.

What do I do if I'm locked out of UC RAYS?

Call the UC Retirement Administration Sevice Center (RASC) at 1-800-888-8267 and select option 1 to get immediate help from a UnifyHR representative. At this time, RASC phone line wait times are 45-50 minutes or longer. UnifyHR (a trusted UC partner) is providing additional support for UCRAYS log-in issues and is available by selecting option 1 from RASC's phone menu.

What is the timing for planning to retire?

Please note: If you plan to retire on July 1, it’s recommended that you start this process as early in April as possible. It is recommended to start the official retirement process with RASC 3-4 months before the date you wish to retire.