Q: I re-entered federal service in 2004 having a short amount of temp time before that. Back then, the retirement system I was placed in was the CSRS offset. During that time, I also paid in for military service at the CSRS rate then in place. Beginning in 2007, as I did not have five years in the offset system, I was automatically converted to FERS. I have requested clarification as to whether the 2004-2007 time frame, I will receive a separate CSRS component to my retirement or whether it will all be under the FERS calculation. In addition, will…
Monthly Archives: June, 2011
Q: I have approx 10.2 years of active military service. I relocated and worked approximately two years with the U.S. Postal Service and now I am working as a civil service employee for the Defense Department. Am I able to combine these together to put toward retirement? If so, would I need to make a deposit of 3 percent of my basic pay? Which basic pay do I use ( military and postal)? I started my civil service job last year at age 51. How many years will I need to work in order to retire? And if I work…
Q: I am a law enforcement (6c) FERS employee who plans to retire at the end of 2012 with 25 years of Law Enforcement (6c) coverage. I also have two years and two months under regular FERS before I entered my covered LE Position and I bought back three years of military time. I know how my covered LE(6c) time will be calculated. My question is how will my two years and two months of regular FERS and my three years of bought-back military time be calculated and included in my annuity? A: Everything above those 20 years of law…
Q: In a recent column you wrote: Fourth, if you receive military retired pay, set up another meeting with your counselor, ideally six months before you are ready to retire. You’ll want to assess the impact of military retired pay on your civilian annuity. Under limited circumstances, you may be able to receive both. However, in most cases, you’ll have to waive military retired pay. I am age 53, retired from the military for 11 years, getting military retired pay now. I am also a GS-13 with 8 years in. I was specifically told by CPAC when I was hired…
Q: Can management temporarily promote (non-competitively) an employee to the lower grade of a six/seven-graded position for 120 days? Are temporary promotions limited to the full-performance level only of a given position? What specific rules support or prevent such actions? A: Temporary promotions are intended to meet the temporary needs of the agency’s work program when those services can’t be provided by other means.To be temporarily promoted, an employee has to meet the same qualification requirements that are needed for the permanent promotion. He or she receives the higher-graded salary for the period assigned and gains quality experience and time-in-grade…
Q: I am a FERS law enforcement federal employee with 22 years in and eligible to retire. I am supposed to receive an OPM supplement of approximately $800 a month. I understand that I start receiving the supplement when OPM finally determines (in six to 12 months) the correct amount of my retirement. Do I get back pay on approximately $5,000 to $10,000 of the supplement, or do I lose the $800 a month until OPM decides to process my retirement? A: The special retirement supplement, like any shortage caused by receiving an interim, rather than final, annuity, will be…
Q: Am I right that my two, four-year term positions will count for retirement and after five years of continued employment I can keep my insurance? I am asking if my understanding is correct. A: If you were later appointed to a CSRS-covered position, those term positions will count toward an annuity if you make a deposit for that time to the retirement fund. If you were later appointed to a FERS-covered position, only term service performed before Jan. 1, 1989, would be creditable with a deposit. Term positions entered into on or after Jan. 1, 1989, aren’t creditable for…
Q: Are there any planned buyouts for 2011 or 2012? If so, for which agencies? A: We don’t keep an inventory of current offers, nor do we have advanced knowledge of future ones. I suggest you continue to visit our website and, better yet, subscribe to the Federal Times to be sure you have the latest information.
Q: I am thinking about buying back my time on active duty (22 years) to make a deposit so that I can retire early from the Foreign Service. If I do, will I lose any of my military retirement privileges? A: If you make a deposit for your active duty service, just before you retire from your civilian job, you will also have to waive your military retired pay. Doing so will have no affect on any other entitlements you have based on your active duty service.
Q: I’m a 28 year federal employee under CSRS, but I also paid into Social Security from 1963 until 1980. Assuming I ever retire, will I receive any Social Security benefits in addition to my federal retirement pay? A: If you have fewer than 40 credits (10 years) under Social Security, you won’t receive any Social Security benefits. If you have 40 or more, you will. However, because you will be receiving an annuity from a retirement system where you didn’t pay Social Security taxes, you would be subject to the windfall elimination provision. The WEP would reduce your benefits…