Q. I retired on CSRS disability from the Postal Service in 1989. I had already worked and paid in all my quarters to draw my Social Security before I started working for the federal government. Will or can my Social Security check be offset by the Offset Law that was passed in 1986? I have been told it would not be.
A. While your disability annuity won’t be affected when you apply for a Social Security benefit, your Social Security benefit will. Because you are receiving an annuity from a CSRS, a retirement system where you didn’t pay Social Security taxes, you’ll be subject to the windfall elimination provision. To find out how your Social Security benefit would be affected, go to http://ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10045.pdf.
