Q: I was an attorney for the government from 1976 to 1982. I withdrew a lump-sum retirement and have not/will not refund deposit. I worked from 1982 to 2002 in the private sector, during which I had substantial earnings and paid applicable Social Security. In 2002 I returned to a federal job and hope to retire in November. By then I will have about 15 years of federal service of which 10 years I paid both Social Security and CSRS offset. Am I safe in assuming that I wil not suffer WEP?
A: The fact that you took a refund of your CSRS contributions and don’t intend to redeposit that money doesn’t exempt you from the windfall elimination provision. You will still get credit for that period of service in determining your eligibility to retire and in your annuity computation. The latter will simply be actuarially reduced based on how much you owe and your age at retirement.
