Q. I was offered and accepted early retirement two months before I was terminated from Federal Service for misconduct. The Merit Board and Federal Court did not address whether or not I was still entitled to receive my retirement. Am I entitled to receive my retirement? My CSRS was automatically transferred to FERS stating that I may be able to retire at the age of 62. Will my payments differ from CSRS of $3,900 a month (OPM calculation)?. It is also my understanding that I will not be eligible for health benefits when I retire. Is this true? Can I receive retirement if I become disabled before the age of 62?
A. If you were separated for misconduct before you retired, as a former FERS employee you would be eligible for a deferred annuity when you have one of the following combinations of age and service: 62 with 5, 60 with 20, at your minimum retirement age with 30, or at your MRA with at least 10 but fewer than 30 years of service.
It’s not clear when you were transferred from CSRS to FERS. Regardless, if you have a CSRS component in your annuity, it would be computed under CSRS rules. Your FERS component would be computed under FERS rules.
Deferred retirees aren’t eligible to re-enroll in either the Federal Employees Health Benefits or the Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance programs.
To be considered for disability retirement, you would have had to be unable to provide useful and efficient service in your job (or one in your activity’s commuting area of equal grade or pay) and apply for that benefit within one year of being separated.
