Monthly Archives: March, 2010

Q. I just left a FERS retirement seminar. Heard something I have never heard before. I am an air traffic controller and get Controller Incentive Pay. (CIP) The speaker said that CIP was considered special pay and should be added to basic pay and locality pay when calculating retirement. Is this true? A. Single agency occupation rules fall outside the bounds of this forum. However, it’s my impression that controller incentive pay is not included when computing a high-3. If anyone out there knows for sure, please let me know and I’ll share it with our readers.

Q. On Jan 3, 2003, I sustained an on-the-job injury while I was working as a Special Agent. My surgery was delayed three months, forcing my leg to get worse and develop severe arthritis. Months later, I was advised by my doctor that due to my injury and the delay in treatment I would never be able to perform my old job again. I advised my superiors, who told me to put in for retirement just in case they could not place me in another federal job. Since the surgery, I have been forced to use a cane in order…

Q. I was hired into civil service (FERS) in January 2005, and elected at that time to purchase back 10 years of active-duty military service. I’m still in the Active Reserve with 17 years of service (about 13 active), and was wondering: 1. When I decide to retire from the military, will my military retirement be at all affected by my election to buy it back in civil service? 2. If so, how? I think my military pension will be better at retirement than that of my civil service pension, because I expect my military paygrade to be higher, and…

Q. I am currently receiving a CSRS pension of $3000 a month. My spouse will not receive CSRS Survivors Benefit when I die. I have over 40 quarters of Social Security contributions. Will my spouse be eligible to receive Social Security Survivor benefits when I die? A. Yes

Q. I am retired (single ) but I have two daughters ages 24 & 23 who go to school and live at home. How and when can I add them to my FEHB policy? A. The effective date of this new provision of law is the first day of the plan year that is six months following enactment of the law. For the FEHB program, that means Jan. 1, 2011. OPM will take the necessary actions to comply with the new law by this effective date so that employees and retirees have the information in time for the annual Open…

Q. I am a CSRS/FERS retiree, with equal time in both systems. I elected a 25 percent survival annuity for my nongovernment husband so he would be eligible for FEHB. He has a private pension, which will cease at his death with no accrual to me. If he dies first, will I recoup any of the reduced benefits in my monthly pension? A. No, you won’t be able to recoup any of the money used to provide a survivor annuity for your spouse. However, your own annuity would be increased to what it would have been if you hadn’t elected…

Q. I have served in the Marine Corps for 17 years, 10 active and seven reserve currently, but plan on serving 20 years total before I end my military service. I am transitioning into the State Department as a Foreign Service officer and had several questions concerning my retirement. 1. I plan on buying the credit for my military service. While active duty is straightforward to calculate, how do they credit my reserve time? Is it only active-duty days served while in a reserve billet? 2. Assuming they credit my 10 active years and some portion of my reserve time,…

Q. Eight years ago, I retired under CSRS with 21 years of service as an air traffic controller. Prior to my controller years, I earned three years of Social Security credits and served seven years in the military. Since retiring I have worked full time at a good salary and my Social Security statement says I have earned enough credits to qualify for benefits, but I think I’m subject to the Windfall Elimination Provision. Assuming that is true, if I don’t elect to receive Social Security at age 62 and wait until my full retirement age of 66 to receive…

Q. On 11/29/2003, I was forced to retire involuntary from the Department of the Navy as a result of a reduction in force. I was a FERS annuitant and received an annuity. On 3/8/2004, I was rehired as a re-employment annuitant with the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA). When starting my new job at new agency, the human resources office placed me in the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). Each of my paychecks saw a deduction to contribute to FERS and I also contributed an amount to the Thrift Savings Plan. The HR office also sent me a letter to state…

Q. I was just hired as a GS-0081 with the Department of Veterans Affairs after retiring from 20 years in the Air Force. I was hired at age 38 thanks to the recent ruling by OPM to repeal the maximum entry age. My concern is whether I will be able to complete my 20 years for the FERS retirement from the GS-0081. As it looks now, I will come up just a few months short. Are there going to be any changes to the maximum retirement age? This doesn’t seem fair if I’m still able to do the job and…

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