Q. I am a Civil Service Retirement System Offset former employee, and I retired on disability prior to age 62. Afterward, I worked in the private sector and contributed to Social Security and was thus able to qualify although I do not have 30 years work history in the private sector. I receive both Social Security Disability Insurance and a CSRS disability pension. Will my Social Security be offset prior to age 62 even though my Social Security contributions came from both CSRS Offset and private industry contributions? I also have Medicare Senior Advantage-Kaiser and wonder if my health care coverage under CSRS Offset conflicts with my Medicare coverage?
A. Because you are a CSRS Offset retiree, your CSRS annuity will be offset at age 62 by the amount of Social Security benefit you earned while covered by CSRS Offset. You’ll get the same amount, only it will come from two different places, the Office of Personnel Management and the Social Security Administration. Further, you will get any additional Social Security benefit to which you are entitled based on your non-CSRS Offset employment.
When you become eligible for Medicare, it will become your primary payer and your Federal Employees Health Benefits plan will be secondary. That would be true regardless of the retirement system you are in.
