Q: I retired Dec. 31, 2010. Before I left, a retirement counselor calculated my annuity at around $51,000 per year based on 36 years and 9 months service and 56 years of age. I left the government in 1991 and returned after 6 months. I withdrew money. The break in service was noted and I assumed the money I received was accounted for in the calculation of my annuity. After retiring, I received a notice from OPM that my annuity would be reduced if I didn’t pay back the money, plus interest. I contacted my former employer and they informed me that the withdrawal was not on the computer system they used to give me the estimate. I would not have retired if had known the correct amount of my annuity. Who is responsible for this error? What remedies do I have?
A: While there isn’t any recourse that would allow you to avoid the reduction in your annuity, you could file an appeal with the Merit Systems Protection Board in the hope that they would find in your favor and order your agency to restore you to your former position.
