1. Personal data: Ensure your personal data (name, birth date, marital status, dependents, etc.) reported to your employer is correct to avoid processing delays.

2. Annual statements: Check your data via Annual Statements on Member Self-Service (MSS), updated in May.

3. Reporting discrepancies: Report any data discrepancies to your employer’s HR. Changes must be submitted to UNJSPF by your employer, not directly by you.

4. Benefit estimates: Before choosing benefits, run your own estimates in MSS to understand your options and entitlements at separation.

5. Submitting forms: At separation, submit the correct Instructions for Payment of Benefits form (Pens.E6 or Pens.E7) with all sections completed and your original signature. The form must be dated consistently and sent to the Fund.

6. Supporting documents: Provide necessary documents for yourself and any eligible dependents (spouse, children under 21, or disabled dependents).

For more details, visit our Separation page.

• Participant's data: Ensure staff personal data (name, birth date, marital status, dependents, etc.) reported to the Fund is correct to avoid processing delays.

• Reporting changes: Report any changes in staff personal data to UNJSPF through HR services using a corrective PA.

• Separation support: Help separating staff understand their benefit options and ensure all required documents are completed and submitted.

• File review: Review staff files before separation to ensure all data and pension contributions are correct. Address any discrepancies ahead of separation.

• Separation forms:

  • Issue the Separation Personal Action form (SEPPA) with all relevant information and submit it to the Fund. I

  • Issue the Separation Notification PF4, signed by an authorized Finance Officer, with all relevant information. The original PF4 must reach the Fund.

  • Ensure the separation date is the same on both the SEPPA and PF4.

1. Support: The UNJSPF provides support to the organization and participants to ensure that participation status and future benefit options are clear as well as inform all parties of the applicable conditions and the documentation required for benefit processing.

2. Briefings: Tailored briefings for participants and Pension Focal Points cover participation, benefits, and the separation process.

3. Separation process: The UNJSPF works with organizations to ensure a smooth separation process, providing feedback as needed.

4. Processing the cases: Upon receiving complete, signed separation documents, the Fund processes the case and issues payment within 4-6 weeks if no discrepancies are found.

5. Follow-up: The Fund follows up with the organization or the participant in case discrepancies are noted during the review and calculation process. It is, therefore, important the Fund has access to the (former) participant’s PERSONAL EMAIL address, which should be included on the original PI.

• Run an estimate in MSS to be informed of their options
• Submit completed, dated and signed ORIGINAL payment instructions (PI) on either form Pens. E/6 (less than 5 years of Contributory Service) or form Pens.E/7 (5 years or more of CS). Remember to provide in the dedicated fields on the PI complete banking instructions including bank identifier in the box provided on the PI. If the participant does not have a bank account and cannot open one, payment in the form of a check may be sent in c/o a UN Office. Payment cannot be remitted to a mailing address nor can it be issued to a third party.
• Submit a copy of a recent bank statement providing the account information, which must be in the name of the participant; the participant’s name and account information on the bank statement must match the name and account information provided on the participant’s payment instructions.

Those participants entitled to and electing a form of retirement benefit must also submit COPIES of the following supporting documents as applicable for their case, i.e.:

• Copy of the participant’s Birth Certificate, or, in lieu of, copy of a valid photo ID document (e.g. Passport or other official, government issued photo ID), carrying the participant’s full names, date of birth and signature (the “UN Laissez Passer” is NOT a valid ID document);
• Copy of the Birth Certificate/s of the participant’s current and/or former spouse/s (or, lieu of, copy of the spouse’s valid Passport);
• Copy of the spouse’s official, government issued photo ID;
• Copy of Marriage Certificate/s;
• Copy of Divorce decree/s;
• Copy of the Birth Certificate(s) of the participant’s child[ren] under 21 years of age;
• Copy of Death Certificate/s for spouse/s, ex-spouse/s, child/ren, if applicable.
• ORIGINAL Designation of Beneficiary form A2.

Submit the following two mandatory separation documents to the UNJSPF:

• Staff member’s Separation Personal Action (SEPPA), and
• The original Separation Notification form PF4 (or finance clearance) for the case, which is issued by the Payroll office of the organization and must be signed by an authorized Finance Officer to be accepted by the Fund.

Form PF4 can only be issued once the staff has effectively separated from the organization; it usually takes at least 4 to 6 weeks from the date of separation from service, before it is issued and sent on to the UNJSPF. It is the (former) employing organization that can best advise on and provide the transmission timeline to the UNJSPF, as this is entirely beyond the Fund’s control. It is useful to follow up with the UNJSPF only ONCE the former employing organization has confirmed that both the Separation PA and original Separation Notification PF4 were issued and sent to the UNJSPF NY office.