| Your monthly benefit | $1,500 | $2,000 | $2,500 | $3,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 supplement (2.5%) | $450 | $600 | $750 | $900 |
Every increase in our sources
| Year | Type | Amount | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | One-time supplement | 2.5% | S.L. 2026-41 s. 41.26: paid as close as practicable to Oct. 15, 2026 to payees living on Sept. 1, 2026 whose retirement commenced on or before Sept. 1, 2026; 2.5% of the annual allowance. Example: $2,500/month ($30,000/year) gets $750, so the October 2026 payment is $3,250.Retirement Monitor, July 2026, One-Time Supplement for TSERS, CJRS (Judicial), and LRS (Legislative) |
| 2023 | One-time supplement | 4% | Paid by Nov. 30, 2023; 4% of annual allowance as of Oct. 1, 2023.G.S. 135-5(zzz) |
| 2022 | One-time supplement | 4% | Paid Sept.-Oct. 2022; 4% of annual allowance as of Sept. 1, 2022.G.S. 135-5(yyy) |
| 2021 | One-time supplement | 2% | Paid by Dec. 31, 2021; 2% of annual allowance as of Sept. 1, 2021.G.S. 135-5(xxx) |
| 2018 | One-time supplement | 1% | Paid by Oct. 31, 2018; 1% of annual allowance as of Sept. 1, 2018.G.S. 135-5(www) |
| 2017 | Permanent increase | 1% | From July 1, 2017, +1% for retirements commenced on or before July 1, 2016; prorated for retirements July 2, 2016-June 29, 2017.G.S. 135-5(vvv) |
| 2016 | One-time supplement | 1.6% | Paid by Oct. 31, 2016 to beneficiaries living and retired on Sept. 1, 2016; 1.6% of annual allowance.G.S. 135-5(uuu) |
The state law lists retiree supplements through 2023, and the Retirement Systems reported the 2026 supplement. We haven't checked the 2024 and 2025 session laws.
We list only the increases we found in the sources.
G.S. 135-5(uuu)-(zzz); Retirement Monitor, July 2026How it works
Increases also apply to survivor payments under Options 2, 3, 6-2 and 6-3 (see payment options). If you took Option 4, increases work differently before and after 62; see Social Security and TSERS. Related: taxes on your benefit.
- Increases after retirement aren't guaranteed. The General Assembly decides whether to grant and fund them.Handbook: Post-Retirement Increases
- Increases apply to survivor payments under Options 2, 3, 6-2 and 6-3 too.Handbook: Post-Retirement Increases
G.S. 135-5(o) provides a CPI-based increase of up to 4% only if it does not require an increase in total employer contribution rates; it also permits increases comparable to active-member cost-of-living raises. The sources do not say this has produced any recent increase. G.S. 135-5(o)
No beneficiary acquires a vested right to future supplements. G.S. 135-5(uuu)-(zzz)
Questions
Does TSERS have an automatic COLA?
No. Increases aren't guaranteed. The General Assembly decides whether to grant one and whether to pay for it.
What did retirees get in 2026?
A one-time supplement of 2.5% of the annual benefit, paid around October 15, 2026, to retirees living and retired on September 1, 2026. On $2,500 a month that was $750.
What's the difference between a supplement and an increase?
A one-time supplement is a single extra payment. A permanent increase raises your monthly check from then on. The last permanent increase in the statute was 1% in 2017.
Source: TSERS Handbook, Online handbook, pages modified Nov. 2024 - Oct. 28, 2026 (retrieved Nov. 11, 2026), page Post-Retirement Increases. Also: N.C.G.S. 135-5(o), 135-5(uuu)-(zzz), 135-5(uuu), 135-5(vvv), 135-5(www), 135-5(xxx), 135-5(yyy), 135-5(zzz); Retirement Monitor, July 2026. Last reviewed .