Q: I was a letter carrier back in the early 1980s. How can I find work information regarding my work history with the USPS? A: You can get it from the National Personnel Records Center. Go to www.archives.gov/st-louis/civilian-personnel/index.html# and follow the instructions printed there.
Yearly Archives: 2011
Q: I was in the National Guard from January, 1970 until January, 1976. I was only on active duty for six months then; the rest of the 5 ½ years were weekends and two weeks a year on active duty. Can I buy any of that time back? A: Only the six months that you were on active duty.
Q: I would like to know the current rules on getting a federal job as a retired federal employee on CSRS. I specifically want to know if I can apply for federal jobs and not lose any of my annuity, and further if I receive a full salary minus the difference between my annuity and the subject salary. I have heard there are new rules out, and I cannot find the new ruling if that is the case. A: A few agencies, and, in particular, the Department of Defense, have special authority to hire non-disability retirees with no offset to…
Q: I plan to retire Dec. 31, 2011, which is when the leave year ends and will have approximately 300 hours of annual leave. Will I be able to cash out the full amount of 300 hours at retirement, or only 240 hours? If only 240 hours, then I would plan to schedule annual leave before retiring to use up the excess 60 hrs. A: As long as you retire before the new leave year begins, you will be paid for all those hours of unused annual leave.
Q: I read Mr. Jones article in the Nov. 15 issue regarding advantages to retiring in 2010 and 2011. That is a bit early for me; I have to wait until 2013 at a minimum and mostly likely will not retire until 2014 or 2015. My question is, are there any limits on the amount of unused annual leave that one can be reimbursed for upon retirement? I am in the Foreign Service (FERS) and currently maintain a leave ceiling of 360 hours of annual leave. If I do not take any annual leave in my retirement year, that could…
Q: My husband retired from the fire department, and now he is disabled. He falls under the windfall rule. His pension will eliminate any Social Security benefits. My question is, could he still apply for Medicare disability? He has worked enough credits under Social Security, but not in the last 10 years. A: He can still apply for Social Security disability. However, to be considered, he would need to have been covered by the Social Security system for a certain period of time just prior to the onset of his disability. You’ll need to check with the Social Security Administration…
Q: I am a 56-year-old CSRS employee of the Navy. I have 37 years of service and was removed last week for a discipline issue. Am I entitled to a retirement or do they just hand me the $80k in my retirement fund? I applied via SF2801 on the day of the removal. Please let me know since I have MS and need my health insurance badly. A: Because you meet the age and service requirements, you are eligible to retire on an immediate annuity. The fact that you were removed for a disciplinary issue will have no adverse effect…
Q: My understanding is that when Social Security was created in 1935 the federal government did not include federal employees as participates in the Social Security system. The decision was based on the fact the federal government already had such a system for its employees (that was more generous). States, cities, counties, etc., were given the option of participating. But if they had an existing system they were not allowed to participate. Thus, a segment of the federal government’s “Civil Service Retirement System” (CSRS) is essentially a Social Security-like segment. Many states now exempt social security from state income tax while fully taxing…
Q: I think I understand the special retirement supplement; I just would like to know how it is applied. Next year I plan on making about $26,000, which is well over the SRS limit. Will I have to pay all my SRS money back at the year or is my SRS just reduced the following year? A: Your special retirement supplement will be suspended until the amount you were overpaid is recovered. That will happen sooner if you are receiving wages than if you are self employed. In the latter case, the overpayment won’t be discovered until you report your…
Q: I have six year to go before my planned retirement and I have two follow-up questions regarding clarification on postponed annuities. I read the explanation describing the differences between deferred and postponed annuities. First I wanted to thank you as I was headed down a path that would have been problematic for me. I need to be able to maintain my Federal Employees Health Benefits while waiting for my annuity to kick in and be able to maintain my FEHB while I am a Federal Annuitant. I am a FERS employee who will be retiring when I am eligible…