Q. I am 63 and plan to retire this year. I was covered for 13 years by CSRS and left the government. When I came back a year later, I was covered by CSRS Offset. After listening to the Office of Personnel Management retirement seminars online, I learned that when you retire at 62, your CSRS check would be reduced based on Social Security. I had planned to wait until I was 66 to file for Social Security. How does this work? Does my CSRS check reduce at 62 regardless of when I start to draw Social Security? Will I need to offset this reduction by another income until I start to draw Social Security?
A. Because you are already eligible for a Social Security benefit, when you retire, your CSRS annuity will be reduced by the portion of that benefit which you earned while a CSRS Offset employee. This reduction is required by law and is automatic. When you apply for a Social Security benefit is up to you.
