Q: I am currently in a law enforcement position, as a Federal Employees Retirement System employee, and I am covered under the special group of employees Firefighters, Law Enforcement Officers, and Air Traffic Controllers retirement. I am considering, after 10 years of service, a lateral transfer to a GS-13 position, with the Defense Department (non-law enforcement) with more potential for promotion and a significant decrease on my commute. Since I paid an increase of .5 percent to FERS for 10-plus years, why doesn’t the 1.7 percent transfer in government to government services?
A: Under the law, only those special category employees who have completed 20 years of covered service are entitled to have their annuities computed using the more generous formula. The standard formula is used to compute the annuities of anyone who has fewer than 20 years of covered service.
1 Comment
According to the “Q&A” Section of the NARFE Magazine, July,2010, where a person left a 6C position after 11 years, had a 2 year break in service, then returned to a secondary uncovered position…. They state; ” When you retire, the 11 years of law enforcement service will be computed under the special provisions, and the remainder of your service not under 6C will be computed under the regular provisions.
This response seems to contradict the need to complete 20 years of 6C to obtain any partial benefits of the higher retirement rate for less than the 20 years.