Q: My father worked approximately nine years for the Postal Service as a rural mail carrier in the 1960s. He was employed both part time and full time, and he did not take a pay out upon leaving the post office. How might he find out his dates of service and whether he has a deferred annuity? A: His records are stored in the National Personnel Records Center, located in St. Louis, Mo. The instructions for getting that information will be found at www.archives.gov/st-louis/civilian-personnel/index.html#. Once he has that information, he can complete OPM Form 1496A, Application for Deferred Retirement, available at www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/opm1496a.pdf, and…
Monthly Archives: January, 2011
Q: I originally entered civil service as a “summer hire” in July 1998. I then was hired to a two-year term in December 1998. That ended in December 2000. I was then hired in January 2004. I am still with civil service. I also served four years active duty and am in the process of “buying back” for the purpose of retirement credit. Will my “summer hire” and “2-year term” employment count toward retirement? I’m under the FERS retirement. A: No, it won’t. Non-deduction service performed after December 31, 1988, isn’t creditable for retirement purposes nor can a deposit be made to…
Q: I worked for the federal government covered by CSRS prior to 1985; after a break in service I was re-employed as a CSRS Offset. I understand that when I am eligible for Social Security at age 62 my CSRS annuity will be reduced and a Social Security benefit based on work done while I was covered by CSRS Offset will be added. Am I correct in thinking that the total of the two benefits will equal the original CSRS benefit? Am I required to take the Social Security component at 62 or could I delay for a larger benefit later? I am eligible for a…
Q: I will begin my first federal job soon under FERS. I turned 60 about one month ago. Must I work until age 65 to be eligible to receive Social Security or Thrift Savings Plan payments? I will have approximately four years and nine months of creditable service. A: To be eligible for a FERS annuity, you would need to have five years of creditable service and be at least age 62. To receive a Social Security benefit, you would need to have 40 credits, which equals 10 years of contributions to Social Security. Because you will have reached your full retirement age at…
Q: I was a letter carrier back in the early 1980s. How can I find work information regarding my work history with the USPS? A: You can get it from the National Personnel Records Center. Go to www.archives.gov/st-louis/civilian-personnel/index.html# and follow the instructions printed there.
Q: I was in the National Guard from January, 1970 until January, 1976. I was only on active duty for six months then; the rest of the 5 ½ years were weekends and two weeks a year on active duty. Can I buy any of that time back? A: Only the six months that you were on active duty.
Q: I would like to know the current rules on getting a federal job as a retired federal employee on CSRS. I specifically want to know if I can apply for federal jobs and not lose any of my annuity, and further if I receive a full salary minus the difference between my annuity and the subject salary. I have heard there are new rules out, and I cannot find the new ruling if that is the case. A: A few agencies, and, in particular, the Department of Defense, have special authority to hire non-disability retirees with no offset to…
Q: I plan to retire Dec. 31, 2011, which is when the leave year ends and will have approximately 300 hours of annual leave. Will I be able to cash out the full amount of 300 hours at retirement, or only 240 hours? If only 240 hours, then I would plan to schedule annual leave before retiring to use up the excess 60 hrs. A: As long as you retire before the new leave year begins, you will be paid for all those hours of unused annual leave.
Q: I read Mr. Jones article in the Nov. 15 issue regarding advantages to retiring in 2010 and 2011. That is a bit early for me; I have to wait until 2013 at a minimum and mostly likely will not retire until 2014 or 2015. My question is, are there any limits on the amount of unused annual leave that one can be reimbursed for upon retirement? I am in the Foreign Service (FERS) and currently maintain a leave ceiling of 360 hours of annual leave. If I do not take any annual leave in my retirement year, that could…
Q: My husband retired from the fire department, and now he is disabled. He falls under the windfall rule. His pension will eliminate any Social Security benefits. My question is, could he still apply for Medicare disability? He has worked enough credits under Social Security, but not in the last 10 years. A: He can still apply for Social Security disability. However, to be considered, he would need to have been covered by the Social Security system for a certain period of time just prior to the onset of his disability. You’ll need to check with the Social Security Administration…