Q. I am 54, with five years under FERS. I am taking a job in the private sector but would like to return to federal employment for three to five years. If I do nothing, can I apply for a deferred pension at age 62? If I do return to government service, do the total number of years accumulate? So, for example, if I return and work another five years, is my pension based on 10 years, even though they were interrupted?
A. As long as you don’t take a refund of your retirement contributions when you leave, you could apply for a deferred annuity at age 62. Also, if you left that money in the fund and returned to government employment, you’d be able to pick up where you left off, and all that time would count for determining your length of service and your annuity computation. If you did take a refund and returned to government service, you’d have to repay that amount plus accrued interest to get credit for that time.
