COLAs
COLAs are not automatic in Indiana. The General Assembly must pass legislation granting one, and it must be actuarially funded. A COLA is normally a percentage of your current pension. Annuitized DC/RSA money is not included. Hybrid Handbook p. 44, §10.1 Cost of Living Adjustments
13th checks
A 13th check is a one-time lump sum that does not raise your monthly pension. The amount is set by legislation by years of creditable service at retirement (partial years don't count), not by your pension amount. Paid only if the General Assembly passes it. Survivors/beneficiaries may get it, split by the same percentages as the monthly benefit. Hybrid Handbook p. 44, §10.2; INPRS Spring 2025 Legislative Updates (June 4, 2025)
The 13th checks passed for TRF
| Paid by | If you retired by | 5-9 years | 10-19 years | 20-29 years | 30+ years | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1, 2024 | December 1, 2023 | $150 | $275 | $375 | $450 | HEA 1004-2024 |
| October 1, 2025 | December 1, 2024 | $143 | $261 | $356 | $428 | HEA 1221-2025 |
| October 1, 2026 | December 1, 2025 | $150 | $275 | $375 | $450 | HEA 1145-2026 |
You also had to be entitled to a monthly benefit on July 1 of that year. Under 5 years of service: no check. Partial years don't count.
INPRS Summer 2024 Retiree News, An Update on COLAs and 13th Checks, TRF 13th Check Service TiersINPRS Spring 2025 Legislative Updates (June 4, 2025), HEA 1221: 13th Checks; Hybrid Handbook p. 44, §10.2 (eligibility dates)INPRS 2026 COLAs and 13th Checks (July 9, 2026), TRF 13th Check Service Tiers; INPRS 2026 Legislative Updates, HEA 114513th checks were also paid in fiscal years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021. '96 Account actuarial valuation (June 30, 2025), p. 58 (13th check paid in FY 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2025); p. 59 (13th check for FY2026 granted)
13th checks were also paid in fiscal years 2018 to 2021. We don't have the amounts from a source.
We show only the 2024, 2025 and 2026 amounts, from INPRS's posts.
'96 Account actuarial valuation (June 30, 2025), p. 58How they're paid for
Since 2018, Supplemental Reserve Accounts (SRAs), funded by Hoosier Lottery money and employer surcharges, pay for COLAs and 13th checks; the SRA must fully fund any new increase before it can be granted. HEA 1004-2024 and HEA 1221-2025 direct INPRS to set a surcharge to pre-fund an inflation-indexed annual 13th check for members who retire before July 1, 2029 and a 1% annual COLA for those who retire on or after July 1, 2029. This is not a guarantee: neither has been granted beyond the specific 13th checks the General Assembly passed. INPRS Understanding SRAs and COLAs (Dec. 29, 2023, updated May 22, 2025); INPRS 2026 COLAs and 13th Checks (July 9, 2026); '96 Account actuarial valuation (June 30, 2025), p. 58
From the sources
- TRF pensions have no automatic cost-of-living increase. A COLA happens only if the Indiana General Assembly passes one and it's actuarially funded.Hybrid Handbook p. 44, §10.1
- A 13th check is a one-time payment that doesn't raise your monthly pension. Its size depends on your years of service, not your pension amount, and it's paid only when the legislature grants one.Hybrid Handbook p. 44, §10.2
- Recent TRF 13th checks by years of service (5-9 / 10-19 / 20-29 / 30+): Oct. 2024, $150 / $275 / $375 / $450; Oct. 2025, $143 / $261 / $356 / $428; Oct. 2026, $150 / $275 / $375 / $450. Partial years don't count.INPRS Summer 2024 Retiree News; INPRS Spring 2025 Legislative Updates (HEA 1221); INPRS 2026 COLAs and 13th Checks (HEA 1145)
- 13th checks were also paid in fiscal years 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.'96 Account actuarial valuation (June 30, 2025), p. 58
- State law now has INPRS set aside money toward a yearly inflation-indexed 13th check for those who retire before July 1, 2029, and a 1% yearly COLA for those who retire later. INPRS says this is not a guarantee: none is granted until the legislature acts.INPRS 2026 COLAs and 13th Checks (July 9, 2026); '96 Account actuarial valuation (June 30, 2025), p. 58
Questions
Do Indiana TRF pensions have an automatic COLA?
No. A cost-of-living increase happens only if the Indiana General Assembly passes one and it's funded.
What is a 13th check?
A one-time extra payment, set by the legislature by years of service. It doesn't raise your monthly pension.
Will there be a 13th check next year?
Only if the General Assembly passes one. INPRS says the money it sets aside is not a guarantee.
Source: Teachers' Retirement Fund Hybrid Plan Member Handbook, Effective 07/01/2025, p. 44. Also: '96 Account actuarial valuation (June 30, 2025) pp. 58, 59; INPRS Understanding SRAs and COLAs (Dec. 29, 2023, updated May 22, 2025); INPRS 2026 COLAs and 13th Checks (July 9, 2026); INPRS Spring 2025 Legislative Updates (June 4, 2025); INPRS Summer 2024 Retiree News, An Update on COLAs and 13th Checks, TRF 13th Check Service Tiers; INPRS Spring 2025 Legislative Updates (June 4, 2025), HEA 1221: 13th Checks; INPRS 2026 COLAs and 13th Checks (July 9, 2026), TRF 13th Check Service Tiers; INPRS 2026 Legislative Updates, HEA 1145; INPRS Summer 2024 Retiree News; INPRS Spring 2025 Legislative Updates (HEA 1221); INPRS 2026 COLAs and 13th Checks (HEA 1145). Last reviewed .