Q: My husband was forced to retire from the Defense Department due to base closures in 1999. He was 45, and combined with his navy and shipyard time he had 25 years in. He took the retirement and has worked in the private sector since. He has an opportunity to work at the Veterans Hospital and was wondering what it would do to his retirement. He gets about $20,000 a year in retirement and the job pays $25 per hour. Any help is welcome.
A: It depends entirely on the nature of his appointment. If he takes a government job, his annuity would stop and he would be unable to retire again until he met the age and service requirements for regular retirement. If he is hired as a contractor, it would have no affect on his annuity. To find out which, he’ll have to talk to someone in the VA hospital’s personnel office.
