Q. The person who processes retirements at my agency told me that I could not retire with 32 years at 51 years. I am an offset employee under CSRS. I thought the Office of Personnel Management indicated that if you retire before 55 years of age, you are penalized 1/6 (no more than 2 percent for the first year and 2 percent for every after for being under 55.
So, I resigned. It’s only been a few days. The agency person said I could only retire at this age if they were offering a buyout. That seems right because I was offered a buyout about 15 years ago.
Can I file for retirement, get my benefits and health care, dental and vision care. I think this person has it wrong. Can you explain to me?
My start date was January 1979 and I had a break of one year in 1983, but I had already worked more than four years when they put me in CSRS Offset.
Can I change my resignation from this agency to file formal retirement to Boyers, Pa.?
A. You could only retire before age 55 if you were offered either early retirement or a buyout. Anyone offered early retirement may do so if he is age 50 and has 20 years of service or at any age with 25. The annuity of that employee would, as you pointed out, be reduced by 1/6 percent for every year he was under age 55.
Any employee who is offered a buyout can accept it, regardless of whether he is eligible to retire. If he qualifies under the early retirement age and service requirements, he can do so. If he doesn’t, he can simply take the money and resign.
Because you resigned before being eligible to retire and had at least 20 years of service, you could apply for a deferred retirement at age 60. For the present, you would be able to continue your health and life insurance for 31 days at no cost to you. After that, you could continue your health insurance coverage under the temporary continuation of coverage provision for 18 month by paying 100 percent of the premium cost plus 2 percent.
Your life insurance would expire unless you decided to convert to an individual policy. Deferred retirees may not re-enroll in the health or life insurance programs.
Since you weren’t eligible to retire, you may want to approach your agency and ask if they would be willing to reinstate you.
