Q. When I started in August of 1984, I was placed under FERS even though FERS wasn’t put in place until 1987. I read that if you didn’t pay into FERS then that time didn’t count. I don’t remember if any deductions were taken toward my retirement during those years. Does my time from 1984-1987 count toward my creditable service?
A. When you were first hired by the federal government, you were put in CSRS Interim (CSRS and Social Security). Because you had fewer than five years of CSRS coverage when FERS became effective on Jan. 1, 1987, you were automatically converted to FERS, and your prior CSRS Interim service became FERS service. Therefore, your service computation date should be set on the day you were first hired.
