Q. I have a question about the CSRS system and the impact of my wife’s Social Security. I will be retiring in January 2011 with 40-plus years of federal government experience. I don’t have enough quarters to qualify for Social Security. My only Social Security quarters are from when I worked summer jobs back when I was in college before 1970. My wife will be applying for a reduced Social Security benefit when she turns 62 this July. Will her benefit be affected by my CSRS annuity or vice versa?
A. Neither her Social Security benefit nor your CSRS annuity will be affected. However, any Social Security spousal benefit to which you would be entitled will be affected by the government pension offset provision of law. It will reduce that benefit by $2 for every $3 you receive in your CSRS annuity.
