Q. I am currently a FERS employee with FEHB dependent coverage. My daughter lost her health coverage when she turned 23 years of age on Aug. 31, 2009. She is a graduate student and I would like to know how to re-enroll her before the Jan. 1, 2011 start date under the new health plan? Is she automatically enrolled because I already have dependent coverage? Will there be an increase in premiums for my FEHB coverage, if so how much? A. Information about how to do that will be included in your open season packet. The premiums for self and…
Monthly Archives: September, 2010
Q. I retired from the Air Force after 30 years. I’m currently a civil servant under the FERS system. I’ve been told that military retirees are entitled to accrue annual leave at a higher rate because they are military retirees. Is there any truth to this? Where would I find the guidance for this rule? A. Annual leave accrual credit is given to retired military personnel only for actual service during a war declared by Congress or while participating in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge is authorized.
Q. The positions of personnel performing similar functions throughout the geographic territory covered by our office are being consolidated into one of the locations. This is being done partially by attrition, but at some point Management Directed Reassignment (MDR) letters (with PCS offered) establishing the final mandatory move date will be issued to the “outliers,” all of whom are currently duty-stationed at locations approximately 100 miles from the consolidated destination location. Many of the personnel may not accept the MDR due to deep family & community ties, working spouses, difficulty selling homes, and/or disabilities requiring family and/or social services support…
With potential downsizings in the wind, I discussed discontinued service retirement in my Sept. 6 column. DSRs, like early retirement offers, allow you to retire before you meet the age and service requirements for an immediate unreduced annuity. However, if you don’t meet those requirements, you may be able to get a deferred annuity later on. If you leave government before being eligible to retire, but have at least five years of creditable civilian service and don’t take a refund of your retirement contributions, you will be eligible to receive a deferred annuity. Exactly when you’ll be eligible depends on…
Q. I have recently retired and understand that a portion of my annuity is tax-free when filing my federal tax return next year. Per the OPM website calculator to determine the tax-free amount, a person needs to know the total amount of retirement withholdings from their paychecks over their career. How do you obtain this figure, as my paystubs while working did not show an accumulated amount for retirement withholdings? A. You will receive that information on a Form 1099-R, which will be sent to you each January by OPM.
Q. I will retire on Sept. 30. Does the federal salary I earned the first nine months of this year count against the special retirement supplement? Or will only future earnings count towards the annual Social Security earnings limitation? A. Because of what’s called “the first year rule,” in most cases your special retirement supplement won’t be affected by your earlier earning. To see how it would play out in your case, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10069.html.
Q. I am a retired FSN (LES) under the civil service retirement plan. I have a question: The COLA is calculated on CPI in the U.S. We worked for the U.S. Foreign Service, in my case, Karachi, Pakistan. The cost of living has gone up by 100 percent. But all the cost-of-living increases are done on the conditions prevailing in the U.S. How does that apply to us, retirees living outside the U.S.? It is requested that another COLA plan be introduced for retirees of other countries, who have served the U.S. government for more than 25 years. In our…
Q. My husband and I are both retired annuitants on CSRS. We have always had FEHB Self and Family coverage, with him as primary member. It may be cheaper for us to each opt for Self Only coverage this coming open season. Since I have always been covered under his plan, how do we go about changing plans? Is there a way to ensure that I will be covered on my own before we change his option? A. You can find out how to make the change by going to http://opm.gov/insure/health/planinfro/enroll.asp#annuitants. Since the changes will occur simultaneously, he cannot remain enrolled in…
Q. My father is 95 and retired in 1972 with survivorship left for my mom, if something should happen to him first. My mom passed away in June 2010. Does my dad get any more money on his retirement check for not needing survivorship anymore? A. Yes, his annuity will be restored to what it would have been before he elected a survivor annuity. The initial payment he receives will include back payments for the months following his wife’s death. Call 1-888-7677-6738 to begin the process. You’ll need to provide his full name, date of birth, CSA number, and Social Security…
Q. My father has been receiving VA compensation (50 percent) for injuries he received while in the Army. He retired from DoD in 2002 as a CSRS offset and receives retirement pay for that. His VA compensation injuries have gotten worse and he is going to ask to be re-evaluated by the VA. Does his compensation from the VA affect his CSRS retirement or is there an offset because I know that his Social Security will be offset when he reaches 62. A. His VA compensation will have no affect on his CSRS annuity. However, as you pointed out, because…