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Denver Employees Retirement Plan

Retired Members

Your DERP Pension Benefit Payment

As a DERP retiree, you join more than 10,800 retirees who receive a monthly lifetime DERP Pension Benefit payment. From knowing when to expect your payment, updating direct deposit information, electing tax withholding, and more, you’ll need to stay informed about topics related to your DERP Pension Benefit payment so you can manage your finances in retirement with ease. Below is a summary of information regarding your payment.

Your First DERP Pension Benefit Payment

Your first monthly lifetime DERP Pension Benefit payment is effective the first day of the month after you separate from employment as long as we have received your completed Retirement Application and all required documentation within 30 days following your separation date. Your DERP Pension Benefit payment is paid by direct deposit to your bank account or credit union on the first business day of each month.

If we receive your complete Retirement Application and all required documentation by the 15th of the month prior to your effective retirement date, you’ll receive your first benefit payment on the first business day of the month your retirement is effective.

If your complete Retirement Application and all required documentation are received after the 15th of the month, you’ll receive your first DERP Pension Benefit payment combined with your second benefit payment on the first business day of the following month.

Direct Deposit

As a new retiree, you’ll receive your monthly lifetime DERP Pension Benefit payment through direct deposit. Your payment is deposited directly into your checking or savings account at your bank or credit union the first business day of the month. Direct deposit is fast, easy, and secure, and you have access to your funds without having to take a trip to the bank!

Log in to your MyDERP.org account and click the Direct Deposit button to set up or change your direct deposit.

Log in to your MyDERP.org account and click the Benefit Account button to view and print your direct deposit advice and review your DERP Pension Benefit history.

Payment Dates

Your monthly lifetime DERP Pension Benefit payment is paid by direct deposit on the first business day of the month. If you’ve been with us for a while and still receive a physical check, your check will be mailed on the first business day of the month. Payment dates are listed below.


Download the Pay Dates Calendar.

Income Verification

During retirement there may be times when you need to show proof of your monthly DERP Pension Benefit payment amount. We’ll provide you an income verification letter upon request.

To request an income verification letter, email Help@DERP.org. We’ll process and mail or email an official letter within three business days of receipt.

Taxes in Retirement
Your DERP Pension Benefit is considered taxable income, subject to federal and state income tax, and reported to the IRS and state of Colorado. We can withhold federal and Colorado taxes from your pension benefit if requested. We cannot withhold taxes for any other state.

Colorado Income Tax Exemptions

  • For members under age 65, the state of Colorado exempts the first $20,000 of retirement income.
  • For members age 65 or over, the state of Colorado exempts the first $24,000 of retirement income.

To set up or change your tax withholding elections, log in to your MyDERP.org account and click the Tax Withholding button.

We cannot provide tax counseling. Questions about your taxes should be directed to your personal tax advisor, the IRS, and/or the Colorado Department of Revenue.

Have you moved?

If you have recently moved or changed your address, make sure to update your address in your MyDERP.org account. Keep in mind, if you move from Colorado to another state and were having Colorado taxes withheld, these taxes will continue to be withheld until you change your tax withholding elections.

To update your address, log in to your MyDERP.org account and click the Address button.

1099-R Form

We’ll mail, or make available through your MyDERP.org account, your Form 1099-R – Distributions From Pensions, Annuities, Retirement or Profit-Sharing Plans, IRAs, Insurance Contracts, etc., by January 31 to report your distribution of retirement benefits.

We cannot provide tax counseling. Tax questions should be directed to your personal tax advisor, the IRS, and/or the Colorado Department of Revenue.

Log in to your MyDERP.org account, click the View Tax Forms hyperlink to view and print a prior Form 1099-R. To request older Form 1099-R’s, email Help@DERP.org.

Living Abroad

We cannot deposit your monthly DERP Pension Benefit payment into a foreign bank account. If you live or are planning to move abroad, it’s important to know your options and finalize your arrangements before you depart to avoid complications.

  • Option 1 – We can mail a paper check to your address in your MyDERP.org account. You should verify your bank in the country you live will accept and cash your payment.
  • Option 2 – You can receive your payment via an international wire transfer. With this option, you must verify your bank allows international wire transfers. Wire transfer fees and administration fees are deducted from your payment.
Federal Limits on Benefits

Internal Revenue Code (IRC) §415(b) sets limits on the retirement benefits that we can pay from the qualified trust. Most members are not affected because their DERP Pension Benefit payment will not exceed the §415(b) limits, however a few highly paid members may exceed the limits.

Although §415(b) imposes these limits, IRC §415(m) allows DERP to use a replacement benefit arrangement (RBA) to provide relief for a retiree who exceeds the 415(b) limit. If it’s determined your DERP Pension Benefit payments will exceed the §415(b) limits, a DERP Membership Services Representative will contact you to discuss what it may mean for you.

Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA)

When considering a COLA, the DERP Retirement Board evaluates the following items and their impact to current retirees, current employees (and future retirees), and the city.

  1. The DERP Retirement Board’s Primary Responsibility is to Safeguard the Overall Soundness of the Retirement Plan.The retirement board’s top priority is to make sure funds are in place to pay every dollar of benefits already promised to every current and future retiree. When contemplating a COLA, the retirement board assesses our unfunded pension, health insurance liability, and investment performance.
  1. Granting a COLA Increases City and Employee Contribution Rates.The retirement board analyzes the contribution rates of current employees compared to the contributions paid by retirees while they were employed. City employees did not contribute to their DERP Pension Benefit until 2003. This means that for most current retirees, their monthly DERP Pension Benefit payment was funded, for the most part, by the city. Currently, the city, and every benefited employee, contribute a percentage of each paycheck to their DERP Pension Benefit. While a COLA would increase your monthly DERP Pension Benefit payment, it also creates a new unfunded liability, which means increased costs to the city, its employees, and ultimately the taxpayers.
  1. Your DERP Pension Benefit Is Meant to Be One Part of Your Retirement.While working at the city you were fortunate to be part of a retirement plan that guaranteed you a monthly DERP Pension Benefit payment upon your retirement. When you were employed at the city, you paid into Social Security which means you receive a Social Security Benefit in addition to your DERP Pension Benefit. Your Social Security Benefit is reviewed annually and may be adjusted for inflation.