Q. I will be retiring next year after 31 years from CSRS. I am not eligible for Social Security. Am I eligible for Medicare parts A and B at age 65? A. Yes, you are. You paid for Part A coverage through payroll deductions. You’ll also be eligible for Part B, for which you would have to pay the premiums.
Monthly Archives: September, 2012
Q. I worked for the Department of Justice for 18 months, then transferred to the Department of Veterans Affairs. I have served three years of federal service. Am I entitled to begin receiving six hours of annual leave per pay period, or did my service time start over when I transferred? A. Yes. Your prior service time transferred with you.
Q. I served in the Army for two years and nine months and was medically retired out. I have become a federal employee. I have been told by my HR office that my time in the service will not count toward my leave accrual or retirement because I was retired out. I have been to OPM’s website and looked at the regulations, and from what I can tell, OPM defines military retirement as that for which you are eligible to receive retirement benefits, which I am not. So I am confused. A. According to OPM, these rules apply: Under law…
Q. I have been notified that my post office will be downgraded and will operate at reduced hours (four hours a day) as of June 2014. I have also been told if I can’t find another postmaster position in an office operating at six hours a day or more by June 2014, I will be terminated and replaced by the postmaster relief or other non-career personnel. The termination will be involuntary on my part and considered a reduction in force. In June 2014, I will be 55, with 28 years of service under FERS. As of that date, I will…
Q. My wife receives her own Social Security. She will receive an amount from my federal pension if I die before she does. Will either pension be affected by the other, or will she entitled to both? A. She will be entitled to both.
Q. I retired at age 50 under the Federal Law Enforcement Retirement Provision. I had 32 years of government service. The service included active-duty military, years under CSRS and the last 5½ years under FERS. I paid back the military service. During the years under CSRS, I also served some of those years in the U.S. Army Reserve and paid Social Security taxes on those earnings. I always had enough credits to receive Social Security before switching to FERS. I also had no additional earned income since I retired. I have been receiving a Social Security Supplement Annuity. I understand…
Q. In returning to the USPS in 1987, I was placed in FERS. I had worked from 1980 to 1985 under CSRS. I withdrew all money at this time. I kept informing everyone in personnel that I could return to CSRS; no one would listen. In December 2005, I received a letter stating that I was placed in the wrong retirement. From 1987 to 2010, I paid into Social Security. They never changed the code until then they lost the paperwork. My husband died recently, and I am entitled to his Social Security when I am 59½. Is this subject…
Q. I have had five surgeries due to work-related injuries. I have four workers’ comp case numbers. I also have a permanent disability on my shoulder and will be receiving a permanent disability on my left forearm and wrist. I recently put in for medical retirement and am awaiting a decision. My workers’ comp doctor has mentioned several times that I should be on workers’ comp after five surgeries, but I don’t know how I am supposed to apply for that, and no one seems to want to answer those questions. Does putting in for the medical disability make me…
Q. I’m a retired reservist and a new federal employee. I understand I can buy back some or all of my active-duty time and not affect my reserve retirement when I turn 60 in 6½ years. I have DD-214s for deployments and activations totaling 4.4 years. I also have my Air Force Reserve Point Credit Summary, which shows my active duty time to be 2,112 days, or about 5.8 years. This additional 1.4 years includes my two-week tours and other active-duty man-days and short tours not covered by a DD-214. Can I buy credit for this additional 1.4 years of…
Q. I graduated in the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, N.Y., Class of 1954. Recently a friend told me he thought academy time counted for Social Security calculations. I have been on several websites trying to search this out, including yours, but cannot find mention of the academy but have found mention of the four other service academies. Is Kings Point covered? If so, what reference should I cite for filing an amendment with Social Security? A. Service in the Merchant Marine, whether at the academy or on active duty, has never been considered creditable service for retirement under…