Q. My mother retired from the Postal Service in 1990 with 28 years of service. In addition, she has worked (and continues to do so) in the private sector for 31 years. The exemptions for the offset provisions list 30 years of paying into Social Security. How would she determine if she is eligible for the exemption and which department should she contact?
A. The Social Security Administration has an electronic fact sheet that should answer your questions. Go to www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10045.html.
