Q. The Dec. 13 VERA announcement for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees is silent about whether FERS employees 55 to 61 years old will have reductions in their annuities due to age. (I’ll be 59 when I retire next year, with almost 24 years of service.) The “VERA FAQs Final” they sent with the announcement states (p. 1) “FERS Employees: Your annuity is not reduced if you are under the age of 55” and (p. 2) “FERS Annuity … If you retire under the age of 55, there is no annuity reduction.” I assume this discussion about being under…
Monthly Archives: March, 2012
Q. I work and have family coverage with Blue Cross Blue Shield through my job and I have a son on the plan. BCBS told me that even though my disabled husband is eligible for Medicare Part B in March of 2012 and chooses not to get it because it will cost $120 a month that it will not pay for anything that Medicare covers under that plan. It will coordinate benefits for Part A and he can still get his prescriptions, but I still have to pay the same premium to BCBS and it is not covering my husband…
Q. I have been a GS (FERS) employee for 22 years, age 44. I currently work for the Department of Homeland Security. I want to work overseas again (I worked for the Defense department in Germany about 10 years ago) and found a job that seems like a perfect fit. The problem is that it’s a nonappropriated fund job. When transferring from a non-DoD GS job to a NAF job: Will I still earn five weeks of annual leave per year? Will my sick leave balance transfer over? Would I still make contributions to FERS and TSP? When transferring back from…
Q. Can I carry health insurance into retirement if I defer retirement at age 54 (my minimum retirement age is 56 years) and start an annuity (to pay for the FEHB) at the time of my deferred retirement? The following are given: I will be age 54 years in May. I have 32 years of government service. I have had continuous FEHB coverage for the past five years and more. A. No. Deferred retirees can neither continue their FEHB enrollment when they leave government nor may they re-enroll when they begin receiving their annuity. They will, however, receive a 31-day…
Q. My fiancé works full time for the Postal Service. She is not a carrier, but works inside as a mail handler in the bulk mail room. I am considering retiring from my position and can include my spouse (if I marry before I retire) on my health insurance plan. I have heard from other postal employees that while they are employed, their health insurance premium is paid 80 percent by the Postal Service and they contribute 20 percent. However, I was also advised that when someone retires, the 80 percent-20 percent contribution is reversed and that the retiree would…
Q. I was hired Dec. 28, 1984, by the Postal Service. My required retirement age is 57; I am 50. If the Postal Service offers an early retirement option giving me two years, would I qualify for the FERS supplement immediately, and what about my insurance? How much if any penalty would I be subjected to? A. The Postal Service can’t offer you two years to make you eligible for early retirement without a change in the law, which isn’t about to happen.
Q. I have 30 years of service under CSRS. I am also eligible for Social Security benefits, which I understand will cause a reduction in my CSRS benefits. If, after age 62, I retire from CSRS, but do not collect Social Security benefits immediately because I choose to continue working on the job in which I pay into Social Security, will my CSRS retirement check be reduced because I was eligible for partial Social Security at the age of 62 or will the reduction take place when I actually start receiving the Social Security benefits? A. Because you are a…
Q. I’m new to the federal system and would like to asses my options. 1. I have spent 14 years and about 10 months on active duty in the Armhy plus some reserve time. I understand reserve time is not computed on military buyback. What is the maximum years that I can sell back? 2. I was hired by ICE at the age of 38. How does that factor in for retirement purposes — mandatory retirement age for an ICE covered agent? 3. If I sell my military time, do my leave and sick hours change to match those of…
Q. Can I buy back temp time? I’m currently a permanent employee and I was a temp for 15 months. I am not getting ready to retire, but; I was told that I could buy back my temp time. Is this true?. A. Unfortunately, you can’t get credit for that time. Under FERS, periods of nondeduction service performed on or after Jan. 1, 1989, aren’t creditable for either length of service or annuity computation purposes.
Q. I retired in 2004 under CSRS and receive an annuitant retirement pay. I am working as a contractor with the government. I have found that I may have a medical condition that could force me to quit work. Is it possible I qualify for any disability payments through OWCP that will not affect my CSRS retirement pay? A. To be eligible for workers compensation, your disability would have had to be sustained through personal injury, including occupational disease, while in the performance of official duties. Since that doesn’t appear to be the case, your question is moot.