Q. My father died in 2008 and his survivor annuities went to his wife, and she died In 2009. I was wondering if his annuities are then received by my brother and me, his children. He worked for 35 years with the Postal Service and was a year away from retirement. A. The survivor benefit based on your father’s employment ended with your mother’s death.
Monthly Archives: October, 2011
Q. When a federal employee retires, his “interim payment” in lieu of the final determination, is 20-30 percent less than it appears the final amount will be. Also, the interim payment includes zero for the annuity supplement. The supplement, when they finally start paying it, is hundreds of dollars. The above two reductions are deliberate, they go on for months, and they are a significant inconvenience, sometimes hardship, to the retiree. Currently, when the Office of Personnel Management makes the final determination and “catches up” the underpayments, they do NOT include interest. Should OPM pay interest? Isn’t there a federal law…
Q. I carry 240 hours of annual leave over every year. If I were to be on sick leave the last 2 months of the calendar year, would any excess annual leave I was unable to use carry over as well as the 240 hours? A. Yes, if you were unable to use your excess annual leave because of sickness that occurred late in the year and was of such a duration that its use could not be rescheduled by the end of the year. Your agency would restore that leave and place it in a separate account. You’d have to use that no…
Q. Is the retirement pay annuity under FERS for physicians employed full time by the Veterans Affairs Department calculated using base pay plus market pay or base pay (GS system) only? A. Physicians comparability allowances are considered to be part of basic pay for retirement purposes.
Q. I am a federal law enforcement officer covered under the 6C retirement. When I hired on in 1989, the maximum hiring age was 35 with a mandatory retirement age of 55. As my career progressed, the mandatory hire/retirement ages were moved to 37 and 57 respectively. I was advised I would be able work until I was 57. The current new hires have mandatory hire/retirement ages of 40/60 years old now. I am told that I must still retire at 57 years despite the current new hires in my organization being able to work until age 60. Is this…
Q. My brother just retired from a civilian job with the Army. He had about 130 hours of use- or-lose leave which was good until the end of this year that he thought would be included with his lump-sum leave payment. However, the local HR office did not include it and says that because he didn’t use it, it is just lost. Does he have any recourse? A. If what he had was regular earned leave in excess of 240 hours that hadn’t expired, the way some restored annual leave or comp time does, then what he was told was nonsense.…
Q. The fiscal 2008 National Defense Authorization Act requires the military services, upon request, to review certain separations for medical conditions where the rating was 20 percent or less. There is a possibility I will be granted medical retirement under this NDAA, and I am curious as to how this will affect my service-connected disability leave. I have been civil service since Nov. 15, 2005, and have a current SCD leave date of Feb. 11, 1994. My retirement will be based on a service-connected disability that was not incurred in combat or caused by an instrumentality of war; however I…
Q. What are my chances at an appeal next February when the Office of Personnel Management tries to reduce my CSRS by eight years since I didn’t buy back my military time. I have conflicting emails from OPM legal — one saying I would get another opportunity to buy back and one saying no. I was ill informed by my agency and advised against buying back my military time as I was told most of it was junior enlisted time and would not add much to my retirement. I think my agency failed me in properly instructing me on the…
Q. Is locality pay included in a high 3 for someone who works abroad and retires in the states? A. No. Locality pay is only included in determining an employee’s high-3 if he is receiving it in the U.S. Those working overseas don’t receive locality pay. They get allowances and differentials, which aren’t included.
Q. My husband has 36 quarters toward his Social Security eligibility; however he has 33 years in the Postal Service and qualifies for a postal pension under CSRS. Is he eligible to receive a reduced Social Security benefit if he retires at the end of this year, in addition to his postal pension or does he need 40 quarters? A. To be eligible for a Social Security benefit, he would need to have 40 credits and be 62 years old. Note: If he became eligible for a Social Security benefit, it would be subject to the windfall elimination provision. The…