Monthly Archives: November, 2010

Q: I have a question about the MRA + 10 rule for retirement under FERS. My understanding is if I have at least 10 years of federal service when I turn 56, which is my minimum retirement age, then I can apply for an immediate annuity under the MRA + 10. I have six years under FERS and am 48 years old. So I will actually have 14 years at my MRA. Is my assumption correct? A: Yes, you are correct; however, if you retire under the MRA+10 provision, your annuity will be reduced by 5 percent per year (5/12…

Q: I returned from overseas last year with 360 hours accrued leave; it is my understanding that I can retain that level of leave until retirement and only leave accrued above that level is subject to use or lose. Is that correct? I have passed 15 years of service, so I accrue eight hours per pay period. Also, I had 15 days of home leave accrued that wasn’t used. Did that go away when I returned to CONUS? A: Overseas employees are allowed to accumulate 45 days of annual leave and may retain that leave balance until it is used…

Q: Is there any current retirement option that allows the addition of civilian employee years of service to a military retirement payment? I understand the options for doing it in the other direction, and it is not beneficial for me to buy back my military retirement and apply it to my civil service time, because in addition to the buyback, and in my case the interest penalty, I would get less money after all calculations are made. A: There is no provision in law that would allow you to add your civilian service to your military service. Nor, to the…

Q: What is the status of HR 4865, the bill that would allow federal retirees to deposit the cash value of their annual leave into TSP? Any chance of it being passed this year or next? A: HR 4865 was reported out of the House Oversight and Reform Committee on April 14. Since then, no further action has been taken on it. Because there isn’t any companion bill in the Senate, it’s unlikely that anything will happen during this session of Congress. Next year is too far out of the range of my crystal ball to hazard a guess on…

Q: My wife and I are federal employees and under FERS. Each of us has had individual coverage under FEHB (Blue Cross Blue Shield) since we began working for the government. We plan on retiring next year at the end of June. She will be 61 and have 26 years of service. I will be 58 and have 20 years of service. I will qualify under the MRA +10, but postpone my retirement until I become 60 in order to avoid the age penalty. One option we are looking at is converting to a family plan this open season so…

Q: Does the SRS that I receive at MRA come out of my Social Security benefits? And, if so, would that mean my benefits at 62 would be reduced since I would have received a portion beforehand? A: No. The special retirement supplement is designed to bridge the gap between the point when you start receiving it and age 62 when you are first eligible for a Social Security benefit. The SRS is paid out of the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund, not from the Social Security Trust Fund.

Q: I have now passed the 42-year mark and still pay deductions to CSRS. If I request a refund or additional annuity when I retire, does the government contribution (which seems to be continuing according to my earning statement) become part of the equation? A: No. The refund of excess contributions will consist solely of the deductions that were taken from your pay.

Q: I understand that it could take six to eight months to process an application for retirement disability. With this in mind, if I took leave for that long and my application was disapproved, could (USPS) discipline me for attendance, even if I was on FMLA for the first 12 weeks of the process? A: If you apply for disability retirement, your supervisor and personnel office will be involved throughout the process. That’s because your agency has to verify that you are incapable of useful and efficient service in your own job or any other at the same grade or…

Q: I am a CSRS federal government employee. I am single and have no children. I retired when I was 64 in January 2005 with 24 years and nine months of service. I signed a paper stating that I would not come back into the federal government for five years. What happens if I am able to get a job in the federal government in 2011 when I am 69? When I am ready to retire again, will I still be under the CSRS or will I be under FERS? Will they add the 24 years and nine months of…

Q: I retired under DSR and would like to come back to work for the government as a part-time permanent employee. Can I receive my monthly annuity and not have my salary offset? Do I have the option not to elect FERS? A: If you take a job with the federal government, your annuity will stop and you’ll be treated as if you were a regular employee. You’ll be employed under your old retirement system with the option of electing FERS. You won’t be able to retire again until you meet the age and service requirement to do so. At…

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