Q. Regarding the amount on each leave and earnings statement about my total CSRS contributions to date: My agency was BRACed in the 1990s, and I transferred to another. We were told at the time to keep track of our last LES from the old station as the retirement contribution amounts would not transfer on the LES. In the move, of course, I lost the old LES. At the new station, our pay system changed and we were told the same thing again. I noticed both times that the contribution amount was reset to zero. Is that information still true about the…
Monthly Archives: March, 2012
Q. I am nearly 62 with 18 years service and separated from service at age 53. If I wait until 63 or later for a deferred FERS, is there an advantage in waiting longer? A. There is no advantage to waiting. Your annuity will be based on your high-3 and years and full months of service on the day you resigned from the government. Therefore, you should fill out a Standard Form 3107, Application for Immediate Retirement (available at www.opm.gov, click on Find Form(s)), and send it to the Office of Personnel Management two months before your 62nd birthday.
Q. I have 20 years of service under FERS, but I am only 41. If I work a few more years, take a deferred retirement, and then die before reaching age 60, will my wife still be entitled to claim the survivor benefit/annuity? Can you point me to the reference? A. Yes. You’ll find the reference you are looking for at www.opm.gov/pubs/handbook/C072.pdf.
Q. I worked for the Defense Department in Germany. When my husband was given a permanent change of station, I was granted terminal leave without pay for one year from my job. I started working again for the federal government one month after my terminal leave ran out. How is this terminal leave time counted toward my retirement? I am under FERS. A. There is no provision for terminal leave in the federal civilian government. Therefore, unless DoD has a special provision of which I’m unaware, you were on leave without pay. If that’s the case, you would get credit for six months…
Q. I served in the Navy from 1973 to 1982 and received an honorable discharge. Also, I received 10 percent disability. I am considering entering federal service this year. Will my active-duty time count for benefits (vacation, retirement, etc.)? A. The Office of Personnel Management’s Vets Guide is the definitive source of information about the benefits available to members of the military who join the civilian federal government. Go to www.opm.gov/StaffingPortal/Vetguide.asp and scroll down to Service Credit.
Q. I am 59 and have 14 years of federal service under FERS. I plan to retire around the end of April. I turn 60 on Oct. 10, and am wondering if I should retire on the 10th of the month in order to avoid an extra month being added to the annuity reduction. Also, if I choose a 25 percent survivor benefit, will my wife have to pay more in health insurance premiums (than with a 50 percent survivor benefit) in the event of my death? A. You can retire on any day of the month you want to.…
Q. I started working for the federal government in September 1982 under CSRS and transferred to FERS in 1987 with just under five years in CSRS. I withdrew my CSRS contributions when I transferred to FERS. I have not had a break in federal service. Does my time working under CSRS count as creditable service for retirement under FERS? I’ve gotten different answers from different sources. A. If you had fewer than five years of employment under CSRS, that time would automatically credited as FERS service and be used both in determining your total years of FERS service and in the…
Q. I am a federal employee under CSRS. I started in August 1978. On my leave and earnings statement under cumulative retirement, it is only showing $51,067.73 for 33 years of service. I think there should be more. Is there any way to find out? A. If you have only worked for one agency, you can ask your payroll office to check it out for you. If you worked for more than one agency, you’ll have to go to the National Personnel Records Center at www.archives.gov/st-louis/civilian-personnel, where records of your prior service may have been sent.
Q. I am in the process of filing for FERS retirement. I currently have 30 years of civil service (GS-11), which includes three years and seven months of military service. I am being told by human resources that they cannot include the three years military time for Retirement Annuity Computation because I receive a check each month from the Veterans Affairs Department for a 30 percent disability rating (service-connected disability). Also, my leave and earnings statement (LES) shows that I have repaid the military time. I have sent human resources a letter from VA showing that I was removed from the temporary…
Q. I have 22 years federal government time. I was fired in 2007 for missing too many days because of being sick. Do I still get a pension? A. If you left your contributions in the retirement fund when you left, you would be eligible for a deferred annuity at age 62.