Q. My husband is 63 and wants to retire Jan. 3, 2014. He has only 29 credits for Social Security, so he is not eligible for benefits. He started his CSRS career before October 1982. He stated paying into CSRS in February 1977. He was in Air Force for four years from 1972 to 1976. Does he have to pay back his military deposit? From what I have been reading, he doesn’t need to pay his military deposit since he is 63 and not eligible for Social Security benefits.
A. What you read is correct. He’ll get credit for his active-duty service without paying a deposit and, because he is over age 62 and not eligible for a Social Security benefit when he retires, he won’t be subject to “Catch-62.”