Q. I was a career wildland firefighter for the federal government from 1996-2011. In May, I suffered a back injury off the job and can no longer fight fires anymore. My supervisor is telling me I should apply for disability retirement as I can no longer perform the duties required of my position. Am I still able to get a partial FERS disability even when I got hurt off the job? A. If you can no longer perform the duties of your job or another job for which you are qualified at the same pay or grade in your commuting…
Monthly Archives: November, 2011
Q. I was in the active duty Air Force for nine years, three months. I then worked as a GS-06 firefighter for seven months. I left federal civil service to take a job with a state government fire department. I am now 43 years old and will be taking a job as a GS-12 Military Reserve Technician as a fire chief and will be in FERS. I will buy back my years on active duty and want to retire at no older than 57. Will I qualify for the 1.7 percent retirement? If made to retire from military service, will…
Q. I am a dual-status federal technician in the Army National Guard. I am looking at an involuntary separation because of losing my dual status (nonmedical related) later next year. I am 48 years old with 12 years of federal service. Would I qualify for any type of involuntary separation payment? A. Since you are not being separated because of a medical disability that disqualifies you from membership in the National Guard, you would be subject to the usual age and service rules governing retirement. Based on your age and service, you would be eligible for a deferred retirement when you…
Q. I am a FERS employee with 25 years of service (including military service) and 54 years old. I was told that our agency may be offering a buyout and wanted to know if I would be eligible to apply for it. I was going to apply for early retirement because of the health and age of my parents, but was told to hold off applying for it because of the rumored buyout. A. If you are offered a buyout, you are free to accept it and take early retirement. If you aren’t offered a buyout, but instead only offered…
Q. I am a FERS employee and would like to take eight hours leave without pay every pay period. This would be a total of 208 hours LWOP for the year. Can I do this, or must I go part time? A. You’d have to get your supervisor’s permission to take eight hours of leave without-pay every pay period. The same would be true is you asked to go part time. The decision is up to your supervisor, based on your agency’s needs for your services. If they can spare you, fine; if they can’t, you’re out of luck.
Q. How can a FERS employee change their retirement date if they’ve already declared one? A. You need to inform your supervisor (and your personnel office if you have already submitted your retirement application). Usually, changing your retirement date won’t be a problem. However, if your position is being eliminated as of a certain date or your agency has already committed itself to someone who will fill your position, then it can refuse your request to change the date of your retirement. The reason for its refusal will have to be presented to you in writing.
Q. I am a medically retired Purple Heart recipient with a 30 percent service-connected disability rating. I served three years active duty and 16 1/2 years in the National Guard. I was deployed to Desert Storm and also Iraqi Freedom and all totaled have credit for about seven years of active-duty service time. In 2008 I was hired as a Rural Carrier Associate (RCA) for the USPS, which is a part-time position that fills in for permanent carriers when they are on vacation, sick, etc. My question is this: the post office I work in has five rural delivery routes.…
Q. I am currently retired from active-duty military and receiving military retirement pay. If I now accept a position with the USPS, I can forgo my military retirement pay and have those military years credited to my USPS time When I reach retirement time with the USPS, can I retire and draw both the USPS retirement and resume receiving my military retirement pay? A. You’ve got it upside down. You can make a deposit to get credit for your active-duty military service — and the earlier you do that, the less interest you’ll pay — and you can continue to receive your…
Q. I am a retired FERS employee and I am considering employment with a railroad. If I take the position, will my supplemental annuity be reduced? The railroad employees do not contribute to Social Security. A. Yes, you special retirement supplement will be reduced or suspended if your earnings from wages or self employment exceed the annual Social Security earnings limit, which in 2011 is $14,160.
Q. My spouse of 17 years was a federal retiree covered under CSRS. We married in 1995 shortly after she retired from the federal government. She notified OPM of the marriage and received the paperwork to elect for reduced benefits. She advised me she would fill it out and mail in the required paperwork. She also changed her health care coverage from self to self and family. She named me as her life insurance beneficiary and her TSP beneficiary. We lived together without interruption at the same address from the day of our marriage until her death. We had no…