Monthly Archives: September, 2011

Q. I am a retired FERS postal employee receiving a reduced annuity based on a 50 percent survivor benefit for my wife. She is an active postal employee set to retire at the end of the year. She is a FERS employee caught up in the FERRCA situation and designated as CSRS Interim/Offset. We have been told that if I die, she would not receive the 50 percent survivor annuity. Also, that if she elects the 50 percent survivor benefit for me and she should pass away, that I would not receive her annuity because we are both federal employees…

Q. At age 53, I’m considering my first federal career. My DD214’s add up to more than seven years of active-duty service, (three years of post-9/11 active duty). I do not want to work 20 years to obtain a federal retirement so am considering buying federal seniority with my active-duty time. Can I buy the seven years and retire in 13 years? Is 20 years the minimum for federal retirement? What if I work for only 10 years? Is there any retirement given the fact I’ll be 63 or 65 at 12 years? If I buy seniority, will this effect…

Q. I am over 50 with more than 20 years of service, but under my minimum retirement age of 56. If voluntary early retirement is offered, do I also receive the FERS annuity supplement if I am under 56? Does the supplement calculation also include years working in the private sector and also paying into Social Security during those years? A. If you retire under the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority, you won’t be eligible for the special retirement supplement until you reach you minimum retirement age. The SRS will be based solely on your time as a FERS employee.

Q. If I buy back my military time, will I maintain Tricare? I am a military retiree. Also, what is the reference for you answer. A. While I know that you won’t lose any other military benefits, including Tricare, if you make a deposit for your active-duty service (even if you have to waive your military retired pay), it’s only because I have been told that by countless retired members of the military who did that. As for a reference, because it is a military benefit, you’ll have to get it from the Defense Department. I only have access to…

Q. In your July 25 article, you stated: “By retiring at the end of a pay period, most of you will get paid for all your unused annual leave, including the so-called use-or-lose leave that you would have forfeited if you retired after the new leave year begins.” I thought we were paid for the lose-or-lose leave regardless of when we retire. Please explain. A:. Most of you do get paid for all your unused annual leave if you retire before the end of the leave year; however, if you are an employee of the U.S. Postal Service, the amount…

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