Q: I am a Department of the Army Civilian (DAC). I will be retiring in three weeks. I will have 33.5 years and am retiring under the CSRS program. I am 56 years old. How/where do I find the procedures to apply for employment as a rehired annuitant with the Defense Department? A: There aren’t any special procedures for hiring retirees. If you are interested in a job with the Department of Defense, you might try the following site: www.militaryconnection.com/DoD.html.
Monthly Archives: February, 2011
Q: I am a firefighter for a large city that has an employee-based pension system (not Social Security). I have also been a member of the National Guard and operated a private business for 30 years on which I paid Social Security tax. Several places on the Internet use the term “30 years of substantial earnings under Social Security” in reference to Government Pension Offset (GPO). My Social Security earning sheet shows $2,464 “Your Taxed SS Earning” in 1977 and runs $3,000 to $10,000 though 2006. What does “substantial” mean, and how will WEP and GPO affect me? A: You’ll…
Q: I am 54 years old and under the FERS system of retirement with close to 20 years of service. I will turn 56, the MRA, in September 2012. My plan is to take sick leave with a combination of LWOP from Aug. 1, 2011, to Sept. 29, 2012, and around July 2012 apply for the MRA+10. Does this seem logical? A: Your plan is self-centered and doesn’t take into account the needs of your employer. Sick leave may only be taken if it fits one of the reasons stated in regulation. Leave-without-pay may be granted at the sole discretion…
Q: I am a retired military service member and a federal employee under the FERS retirement system. I have been told by others that when I retire from civil service and get ready to draw Social Security that my Social Security would be decremented anywhere from 40 percent to 60 percent. Supposedly this is due to the drawing of three government checks, Military Retirement, Civil Service Retirement and Social Security. I have spoken to my HR people and they tell me this is not true because Social Security is part of the FERS retirement plan. I spoke to a Social…
Q: I am a 50-year-old air traffic controller. I am preparing to retire in the next month or two. Can you please tell me if my Social Security supplement is subject to the earnings test, between now and the time I turn 56? A: No, it isn’t. The Social Security earning test will only be applied when you reach your minimum retirement age (MRA).
Q: I am a USPS employee (FERS) receiving a military retirement check for 22 years of service. When I reach 20 years with the postal service (age 63), will I be able to retire without the military buy back option? I do not want to waive my monthly military checks. A: You don’t have to make a deposit for your active duty service or waive your military retired pay. Any FERS employee can retire on an unreduced annuity if he or she is at least age 60 and has 20 years of service.
Q: I am 57 with 28 years in FERS. My MRA is 56. If I retire and postpone until age 60, will I still get a Social Security supplement until age 62? A: No one who retires under the MRA+10 provision is eligible to receive the special retirement supplement, regardless of when his or her annuity begins.
Q: My wife has been on disability retirement from the IRS for about 11 years. She was a FERS employee. She is also on Social Security retirement. I understand that when she reaches age 62 that her FERS (and, I assume Social Security) annuity will be recomputed. My question is will this likely result in an increase, a decrease or no change to her total (FERS and Social Security) income? A: At age 62, her disability annuity will be converted to a regular annuity, using her high-3 on the day she retired, increased by any cost-of-living increases from then until…
Q: I am a 70-year-old physician employed by the Army as a Defense Department civilian for eight months. I have previous experience in the Public Health Service (Indian Health Service) of 7.6 years from 1968 to 1975. When am I eligible to retire? My HR office tells me that my time in the PHS is creditable service. Does that satisfy the requirement of five years of civil service? A: No, it doesn’t. You need to have five years of FERS-covered service to retire.
Q: Is the annuity calculated on basic pay only for the high 3 years? Are any other earnings factors included besides basic high 3 pay? A: Basic pay is it. However, you need to know what’s included in and excluded from basic pay. For example, locality pay is included, overtime isn’t. Simply stated, basic pay is the amount from which retirement deductions are taken.