Q: I am a veteran who paid into Social Security while in service for seven years; I am now retired from federal service under the Civil Service Retirement System. Will I be entitled to Social Security payments?
A: You will only be entitled to a Social Security benefit if you have earned 40 credits, which takes 10 years of covered earnings. Note: If you are eventually entitled to a Social Security benefit, you will be impacted by the windfall elimination provision. The WEP reduces the Social Security benefit of anyone who is receiving an annuity from a retirement system in which he didn’t pay Social Security taxes, like CSRS, and has fewer than 30 years of substantial earnings under Social Security.
