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2021 retirement annuity and federal pension adjustments for UI
Summary ETA alerted states to 2021 cost of living increases for Social Security survivor and retirement annuities and federal civilian pensions. States whose laws reduce weekly unemployment benefits for pension income were told to update their systems for those amounts. The adjustment period is 2021.
Document
Federal guidance
Agency
U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA)
Document number
UIPL No. 10-21
Date issued
January 4, 2021
Status
Active
ETA’s listing marks this letter Active, and its PDF prints “Rescissions: None” and “Expiration Date: Continuing.” Its cost of living adjustment concerns 2021.
Status last verified October 24, 2026
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About this page: The full text below is the official document from U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA). Ezel adds the plain-English summary and tracks the document's status. The official source linked on this page is authoritative for any reliance.
CLASSIFICATION
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION Unemployment Insurance
ADVISORY SYSTEM CORRESPONDENCE SYMBOL
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR OUI/DUIO
Washington, D.C. 20210 DATE
January 4, 2021
ADVISORY: UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROGRAM LETTER NO. 10-21
TO: STATE WORKFORCE AGENCIES
FROM: JOHN PALLASCH
Assistant Secretary
SUBJECT: Social Security Annuities and Federal Civilian Pensions
1. Purpose. To ensure that states are aware that: 1) the social security survivors and old age
retirement annuities and the Federal civilian pensions annual cost-of-living adjustment
(COLA) will increase for calendar year 2021 and 2) COLA information is located on the U.S.
Office of Personnel Management (OPM) website.
2. Action Requested. State Administrators should provide the information contained in this
Unemployment Insurance Program Letter (UIPL) to appropriate staff.
3. Summary and Background.
Summary. This UIPL provides the website link to the 2021 COLA information and informs
states to make necessary programming adjustments to accommodate the COLA increase.
Background. Each year, OPM posts the COLA information for social security survivors and
old age retirement annuities and Federal civilian pensions on its website. The 2021 COLA
information is located at: https://www.opm.gov/retirement-services/my-annuity-and-
benefits/annuity-payments/#url=Cost-of-Living.
4. Instructions. States that have laws requiring a reduction of the unemployment insurance
(UI) weekly benefit amount by the prorated weekly amount of retired pay and pensions
should program the increase in the COLA amount for 2021 into their Unemployment
Insurance systems.
5. Inquiries. Please direct all inquiries to the appropriate Regional Office.
6. Attachments. Not Applicable
RESCISSIONS EXPIRATION DATE
None Continuing
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