Author militaryonline

Q: If while on leave without pay for OWCP work-related injury the LWOP used does not count against me for retirement purposes, then why does the LWOP used count against my sick leave and annual leave accrual? It doesn’t make sense to lower my accrual rate for annual leave and sick leave while I’m absent due to OWCP-LWOP work-related injury. They don’t penalize us for retirement purposes, and they shouldn’t penalize us in our accrual of annual and sick leave either. If it’s not counted against us for retirement purposes, it shouldn’t count against us for anything. It’s not our…

Q: I found the following information on the OPM website: After the first 12 months, 40 percent of your high-3 average salary minus 60 percent of your Social Security benefit for any month in which you are entitled to Social Security disability benefits. However, you are entitled to your “earned” annuity, if it is larger than this amount. Does this mean that if my normal annuity would be higher than the subtracted amount then there would be no offset for Social Security? A: No, it doesn’t. The offset will still be 60 percent of your Social Security benefit, regardless of…

Q: I want to elect the voluntary contributions annuity when I retire Dec. 31. I am 59 and will be age 60 on Jan. 3. Since the VC annuity rate pays an extra .2 percent for each year after age 55, I want to elect that the VC annuity start Jan. 3 when I’m 60, not on my Dec. 31 retirement date. I have been unable to get an answer from OPM for the past 2 months on the effective date of the VC annuity. Can you find out what effective-date options are allowed? A: No one can give you…

Q: I served four years in the Navy, and I am starting a government position in the new year. Will my four years of active duty count toward my GS retirement? A: You won’t get any credit for that time unless you make a deposit to the civilian retirement system. When you report for duty, your first stop will be at the agency’s personnel office. Someone there can tell you how to find out how much you owe and how to go about making the deposit.

Q: I am a reinstated federal employee under FERS. My original employment was from November 1987 through May 2000. I’ve been trying to find out how much money I have in my FERS account during my original employment. I’ve contacted OPM a number of times and keep getting my FERS accumulation for my current employment. Can you help? A: OPM doesn’t have that information. When you left government, your records were sent to the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. You’ll need to get in touch with them to access that information. You can call them at 314-801-9250, or…

Q: I  began coverage under Medicare two years ago. My wife just began coverage under Medicare this month.  We received statements from Social Security for our 2011 benefits. My wife’s coverage is based partly on my entitlement and partly on some part-time work she has done over the years. Her deduction for Medicare medical is $110 and mine is $96. Why is hers so much higher than mine? A: Because you were already enrolled in Medicare Part B and had those premium deductions taken from your Social Security benefit, you were protected by the “hold harmless” provision of the Social…

Q: I am 52 and have 31 years of creditable service. FERS is my retirement plan and my minimum retirement age is 56, when I’m entitled to receive full medical and life insurance benefits, including supplemental income until age 62. I am considering leaving the federal government to work for a private firm for four to five years. Then my plan is to return to the government when I turn 57. When I do return to government service, how many more years must I work before I qualify to retire with full retirement benefits? A: Because you would have the…

Q: I’m over 50 in a FERS Federal Law Enforcement (CBP) position with more than 22 years covered time and I am considering retirement. I also serve and have more than 30 years in the National Guard and will draw a Reserve retirement before age 60. Once retired from CBP and receiving my federal annuity, can I then accept a GS-13 grade Excepted Technician position with the National Guard without affecting my CBP annuity? A: No.

Q: Can current federal employees buy back Army National Guard time? I have federal employees that did 20-plus years in the Army and Air National Guard. They have retired from the National Guard and now work for the government. Some of these employees were placed on active duty (title 10) for certain deployments and are inquiring about also buying back that time. One employee had heard that National Guard time was somehow prorated when it comes to buying back time. Any truth to this, and if so, where can I read about it? A: As a rule, service in the…

Q: I worked for the federal government for 13 years as a civilian contractor for the Army, from 1981 to 1994. I just returned to work for the federal government as an auditor in May. I took a lump-sum payment when I retired in 1994 and would like to buy back into the retirement system. What forms do I need in order to do this? To complicate matters, I am a veteran. I was in the Army from 1959 to 1962. A: Because you took a refund of your retirement contributions after March 1, 1991, you’ll have to redeposit that…

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