Q. I have 11 years total service (eight years military buyback and three years federal civilian employment) and I am 49 years old. If I leave federal employment at age 51 (with a total of 13 years service, five as a civilian employee), can I apply for deferred MRA+10 retirement and receive my pension and health care benefits when I turn 62? Or do I need to be my minimum retirement age (57 years old) when I leave federal employment?
A. To retire under the MRA+10 provision, you’d have to be 57, your minimum retirement age. To avoid the 5 percent-per-year age penalty, you could postpone the receipt of your annuity to a later date. When you began receiving your annuity, you could re-enroll in the Federal Employees Health Benefits program. If you left government at age 51, you’d be eligible for a deferred annuity at age 62. However, deferred retirees cannot re-enroll in the FEHB program.
