Q: I am a FERS employee, and I would like to know how OPM calculates the Supplement annuity (this is in addition to the FERS amount) for someone who retires with more than 20 years of service before their 62nd birthday. Do they base it on one’s salary or years of service? A: The special retirement supplement approximates the Social Security benefit you earned as a FERS employee. It is paid to those who retire after their minimum retirement age with 30 years of service, at age 60 or later with 20 years of service, and to those who are…
Author militaryonline
Q: I have a question regarding locality pay determination. I have been accepted to attend the Army War College starting in July. I will be there for 10 months. Since I am at Fort Monroe and will be reassigned to the Pentagon but will be TDY to Carlisle Barracks to attend the War College, shouldn’t my locality pay be determined by where I am assigned? A: While I don’t know what your official duty station should be, I can give you some information that may be helpful. Certain location-based pay entitlements, such as locality pay, are based on the location…
Q: I read post on credit for military service with great interest. As a former Peace Corps volunteer, what is the current status of that service relative to my current Federal service. A: If you are covered by CSRS and your Peace Corps or VISTA service was performed before October 1, 1982, you’ll receive credit for that time (excluding training time) for both eligibility and annuity purposes. Whether you make a deposit for that time is optional. However, if it isn’t paid, your annuity would be reduced by 10 percent of the amount due, including accrued interest. On the other…
Q: I retired from the Foreign Service in 1995 after 27 years of service. Prior to that, I worked for 15 years as a merchant mariner, as a miner, and in the Navy. I paid into Social Security during all of this time. My Foreign Service pension derived from the “old” Foreign Service Disability and Retirement System (FSDRS). Why is it that my Social Security benefit was reduced by two-thirds, when my covered private sector and Navy employment had no relationship with my later career as a Foreign Service Officer? A: The law is clear. Anyone who receives a pension…
Q: I learned in 2008 that my disability retirement annuity is wrong because my Preliminary and Final SF 2806 forms were prepared by a state-funded agency rather than my former employer. I was an Army Department employee. I have provided extensive evidence to OPM, however, they have refused to correct my annuity or explain why a state-funded agency prepared my separation documents, why they don’t match the personnel action forms prepared by my former employer, and why my last day in pay status was provided to OPM by the state-funded agency two months after I was separated. I have been…
Q: I spent two years (2004-2006) working for the Veterans Administration at a work-study position in Buffalo, N.Y. Does this time count toward FERS retirement eligibility and annuity computation purposes? A: Not to my knowledge. However, I suggest that you raise this question with your local personnel office, which, if necessary, can check with OPM.
Q: I resigned in 1994, withdrew my retirement of $20,000 from CSRS. At that time, my SCD was January 1974. Came back to civil service in 1996. At that time, I was given the choice of CSRS or FERS. I chose FERS. My SCD was recalculated to January 1977 with 10 years frozen service. I have two questions: Am I required to pay back the withdrawal in order for the 20 years (1974 to 1994) to count toward retirement? And what exactly is frozen service? Will it affect my retirement years? Right now,based on my SCD,I have 33 years. I’m…
Q: I transferred to the inactive Naval Reserve in August 1994 with 20 years of service, and I still draw retirement from the Navy. I work for the U.S. Postal Service (under FERS) and I am eligible to retire from the Postal Service in August 2012 with approximately 15 years of service. I know of one individual who claims to have combined his retirement from the Air Force with his retirement from the FAA several years ago. He was Civil Service when he retired from the FAA. What are my options at retirement from the Postal Service? Is there a…
Q: I used to work for the U.S. Postal Service, first as a mail handler, clerk, then a letter carrier. I served for about 10 years. I am 55. What would I do to find out if I have benefits and how could I get them? A: If you didn’t take a refund of your retirement contributions when you left government, you would be eligible for a deferred annuity at age 62. To apply for it, two months before you reach age 62, you’d need to complete OPM Form 1496A, Application for Deferred Retirement (available at http://opm.gov/froms/pdf_fill/opm1496a.pdf), and send it…
Q: My mother worked part-time for the Veterans Affairs Department, less than 30 hours a week, from 1986 to 1992. She was Grade 4. In 1992, she retired at age 63. No one ever mentioned the possibility of a FERS annuity. Is she eligible? She worked at least five calendar years. She is now 81. If she is eligible, would she be able to get the annuity back until 1992 when she retired? In a lump sum? How would she apply? A: The good news is that your mother will be eligible for a deferred annuity, which will be retroactive…