Q: You answered a question with the following: “A: According to OPM, you only need to complete your 80-hour work week to get credit for any annual and sick leave earned during that pay period.” I cannot find this clarification at the OPM website. The “popular” opinion amongst co-workers is that you must be employed for the entire pay/leave period if you have a standard Monday-Friday work week in order to receive annual leave credit for that period. Specifically, if I retire on Dec. 31, 2010, with 80 hours worked, will I receive credit for pay period 26, or must…
Monthly Archives: May, 2010
Q: I will retire under FERS in 2015 at age 56 with 33 years of service. I will continue to carry my Federal Health Insurance. I am told that the government will not pay anything toward it like they currently do as a federal worker. Is that true? A: No. When you retire, you’ll pay the same premiums you would as an employee, unless you work for the Postal Service. Postal Service employees have a higher percentage of their premiums paid by the Postal Service. When they retire, they pay the same premiums as all other federal employees and retirees.
Q: From 1968 through September 1978 I worked in the private sector and paid Social Security. My taxed Social Security earnings for those 11 years were $40,520. According to the Social Security Administration, seven of those years were “substantial earnings years.” Beginning in October 1978, I entered federal civil service as a federal law enforcement officer and paid no Social Security. In June of 1983, I left federal service and re-entered the private sector. From June 1983 through August 1985, I remained in the private sector. My total taxed Social Security earnings for those three years were $74,650. According to…
Q: I worked six years as rural mail-carrier substitute. There is no retirement plan for subs. After that, I have worked 21 years as a regular rural mail carrier. Have you heard of any new deal where those six years as a sub could be included in my retirement plan? A: I haven’t heard of any change being made or even contemplated.
Q: I’m about to receive my pension from the Navy because I’m about to turn 60. I’m also a FERS retiree. Would I be able to receive both annuities? What would happen to my FERS annuity supplement? A: You’ll be able to receive both annuities. Further, your special retirement supplement won’t be affected because it would only be reduced if your earnings from wages or self employment exceeded the annual limit. An annuity, regardless of who pays it, is not considered to be earnings.
Q: I retired from the Army in 1993 with 20 years of service. I retired as warrant officer, no disability, and began collecting retired pay in 1993. In 2000, I began employment has a civilian with the Army Corps of Engineers. I have paid into Social Security since joining the military in 1973, including private-sector jobs. When I stop working, will I be able to receive my full military retirement pay, full Social Security and full civilian retirement pay, or are these connected in some way that means I would receive less. A: Yes, you will be able to recieve…
Q: Regarding your May 24 post, “Credit for Military Service,” your last paragraph states, in part, “If you are approved for regular LWOP, you make take up to six months leave within a calendar year and get credit for that time without having to make a deposit.” Could you please identify the statute that you draw that from? A: Title II – Leave, Civilian Personnel Law Manual, Chapter 5, Part F – Leave Without Pay authorizes agencies, at their sole discretion, to grant leave without pay to its employees. While a separate authority exists to protect the rights of members…
Q: My husband payed into a civilian federal employee insurance policy for 28 years. He was riffed and retired in July 2001, but the insurance was still taken out of his retirement check on a monthly basis. He was notified by the federal insurance plan that he was no longer on the insurance plan as of age 65. He is now 67. What happened to the insurance policy and/or it’s value? A: At age 65, his premiums stopped and the value of his Basic insurance began to decline at the rate of 2 percent per month. It will continue to…
Q: My ex-husband is a CSRS employee and is eligible to retire. I know that I am entitled to a survivor annuity whether he dies before or after he retires. Will my survivor annuity be reduced by any Social Security that I receive? A: Your survivor annuity would not be reduced, and you would be able to receive the full amount of any Social Security to which you are entitled based on your own work record.
Q: I worked for a state university for more than a year before becoming a federal employee, covered by CSRS, in 1978. I believe retirement contributions were taken from my pay, but they were a state retirement system ( Hawaii ), not Social Security. Can I buy this time for my CSRS benefit now? A: No, you cannot.