Q. I’ve got 37 years in the CSRS system and I’m 57 years old. I also have 37 quarters in the Social Security system. Would it be advantageous for me upon retirement to earn the remaining quarters to become eligible for Social Security? I’m hoping to retire within two years and wanted to know about the offset with my annuity within the CSRS system?
A. Earning the additional credits needed to qualify for a Social Security benefit would have no affect on your CSRS annuity. Instead, the windfall elimination provision of law would reduce the amount of your Social Security benefit. In other words, you’d get a Social Security benefit but the dollar amount would be less than it would have been if you had 30 or more years of substantial earnings covered by Social Security.
