Q: Do partial years of service count toward one’s FERS benefit? As I understand it, if I work exactly 22 years in federal service, am at least 60 years old and my high-3 is $60,000, my benefit is equal to 22 x 1.1% x $60,000 = $14,520. If I work exactly 22 years and three months, is my benefit equal to 22.25 x 1.1% x $60,000 = $14,685? As I understand it, partial months are dropped, so if I work exactly 22 years, three months and 18 days, my benefit would still be $14,685. I really did try to find…
Author Reg Jones
Reg Jones
Reg Jones was head of retirement and insurance policy at the Office of Personnel Management. Email your retirement-related questions to fedexperts@federaltimes.com.
Q: My father retired from active duty in 1961. He then went into government service until 1980. He served in the Korean War and World War II. He is now 93 and has Alzheimer’s, so he doesn’t know who we are. My mother is 84 and takes care of him. She gave me a piece of paper that has dad’s retirement information. She asked me what the $22.08 that comes out every month from dad’s check is for. It says “post retirement basic life insurance”. She said dad has paid this since 1961, but she has no idea what it…
Q: In 1985 I was injured and was covered under worker’s compensation. In 1996 I switched over from worker’s compensation to OPM disability pay. In 1999 I returned to duty as a federal agent and was placed under CSRS-Offset. I have been told that I am under offset because I was off the government payroll for more than a year before returning to work. As I was getting paid by OPM and worker’s compensation for on-duty injuries during the whole period I was off, I am concerned that I am not in the right retirement program. A: What you were…
Q: I was employed as a GS-9, then promoted to GS-11 for an eight-year period. I took some time off from civil service but I have recently been contacted and offered another position in civil service. I was active duty military for four years and during my first employment as a civil servant I did not buy back those four years of active duty military. Am I allowed to buy those four years of active duty back when I am reinstated into civil service? A: Yes.
Q: I receive a FERS annuity, military retirement and in four months will be eligible to receive Social Security at age 62. Will my Social Security be reduced due to the windfall elimination provision? A: No, the windfall elimination provision only applies to retirees who are receiving an annuity from a retirement system where they didn’t pay Social Security taxes, such as CSRS. Neither the military retirement system nor the FERS system fit that definition.
Q: We have a situation where management wants to force an employee on leave without pay because he cannot perform any duties as a result of a stroke. The employee has exhausted all accrued leave, but refuses to request leave without pay because he is two months short of completing 18 months of service so that he can apply for disability retirement. Do you know of any situation when management can force leave without pay upon an employee? We don’t think so, but we want to show the customer in writing. We have recommended that they place the employee on…
Q: I can retire at 55 with 32 years under CSRS in the Postal Service. I have worked part time all this time. Last year I was sent what my retirement would be based on retiring at that time. I will only get about $10,000 a year. My husband has been self-employed, but will become a full-time rural carrier after being a substitute for 18 years. He has checked with Social Security, and so far he could receive $2,000 a month. When he becomes a full-time carrier he will be in FERS. I know about the windfall elimination and all,…
Q: I am 58 with 34 years of service. I have 41 quarters of Social Security credits and my SSA annual statement says my benefit at 62 will be $538. What percent will my SSA benefit be reduced by my civil service monthly pension of $3,337? My friend at work claims that veterans who served between 1957 and 2001 get an extra $100 a month added to their Social Security benefit. Is this true? A: The only practical way to estimate what the reduction in your Social Security benefit is to plug your numbers into a computer program and see…
Q: I have several questions, but before I ask them let me provide some background. I am about to take a position as a new hire as a GS13 in September. I am 54 and plan to work until I am 62 or older. I have 16.8 years of military service which begun in May 1980. I took early retirement in January 1997 and draw military retired pay. I am a 90 percent disabled veteran and I receive VA disability compensation as result of what the VA considers a service-connected disability incurred in combat with an enemy of the U.S.…
Q: I am a 50-year-old civilian with no creditable service working at a DOE National Lab. A government agency may hire me. I have a very good private pension, and will incur a significant pension loss if I accept the government job. My question is: can excepted service agencies offer FERS creditable service as a recruitment incentive? A: No.