Q. What happens to the special retirement supplement if I worked until age 62? … even though I am eligible to retire at age 56, with 31 years of service? Do I lose the SRS completely? It would total about $106,000 between ages 56-62. A. The only purpose of the special retirement supplement is to help a FERS retiree bridge the gap between his retirement and his eligibility for a Social Security benefit. It you work until age 62, you won’t get it or need it. Note: Even if you were to retire before age 62, began receiving the SRS, and had earnings…
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. I am a FERS employee and I plan to retire in the near future. As I have a CSRS component, I will be impacted by the Windfall Elimination Provision when I begin to draw Social Security. As my spouse is also a FERS employee, it is possible that my spouse benefit for Social Security may exceed my own benefits. I will turn 62 eight years before my spouse. And we both plan to draw Social Security when we each turn 62, respectively. I understand that I will not be eligible for a spouse Social Security benefit until my wife…
Q. My problem, as noted below, is that I have combined legislative, military and federal service. I purchased my military service years ago, while in the legislative branch. I know the legislative branch calculates their annuity at a higher rate than do other federal agencies. I’m not sure what that rate is and I have yet to find a calculator that can factor in the combined time/pay to come up with a annuity estimate. My question is, how is legislative service calculated and how is it factored into my ultimate annuity? For the sake of discussion, my basic info is…
Q. I am a government DoD CSRS employee of 38 years and plan on working for another couple of years –- I want that 40 years with 80 percent of my salary as retirement. I turn 62 this September and have been told I can draw my ex’s Social Security starting Oct 1. We were married for 28 years. Is this true? Is there a limit on the amount of money I can draw while I am still employed? I know when I retire, it will offset my retirement (which I feel is unfair). A. Because your marriage lasted at…
Q. I am currently on approved Leave Without Pay due to a work injury and I am receiving federal compensation benefits. I am nearing regular retirement age and I am concerned about my high-3 retirement calculation. I have been on LWOP for 3 years. Will the salary I would have earned during these years be used in my calculation? I also understand that a new law may increase by retirement calculation for lost TSP contributions. A. As long as you are on LWOP and receiving compensation, that time will be treated as if you were still on the job, both…
My readers seem to be confused about two types of annuities: postponed and deferred. I think the misunderstanding arises because they are using the terms interchangeably. Let me explain the difference, which is a big one. Postponed annuity A postponed annuity is one where you retire after meeting the age and service requirements and postpone the receipt of your annuity until a later date. This option is only available to employees under the Federal Employees Retirement System who have reached their minimum retirement age (MRA) and have at least 10 years of creditable service. If you retire under the MRA+10…
Q: I plan to retire at 60 years old with FERS. If I take the lump sum, will my health insurance still be valid and will the agency still pay its portion? Please give all scenarios (even the bad ones). A: I assume by “lump sum,” you mean accepting a Voluntary Separation Incentives Payment. If I’m right about that, you are eligible to retire, and you have been continuously enrolled in the Federal Employees Health Benefits program for the five years before you retire, you will be able to continue that coverage in retirement. If you are an employee of…
Q: I am a federal law enforcement officer covered by FERS with more than 20 years of service under FERS, but I have not reached the minimum retirement age of 50. Due to plans to transfer me, I must either separate myself from my family, find another job or retire early. My question concerns the viability of the early retirement option. If I retire at 47 with more than 20 years as a federal LEO, what happens? Do my benefits get deferred and, if so, to when? Is there also a financial penalty and, if so, how much? A: You…
Q: My husband was forced to retire from the Defense Department due to base closures in 1999. He was 45, and combined with his navy and shipyard time he had 25 years in. He took the retirement and has worked in the private sector since. He has an opportunity to work at the Veterans Hospital and was wondering what it would do to his retirement. He gets about $20,000 a year in retirement and the job pays $25 per hour. Any help is welcome. A: It depends entirely on the nature of his appointment. If he takes a government job,…
Q: My wife only worked for 11 years and based on the annual statements she receives from the Social Security Administration, she can only expect to receive about $300 a month at age 62. She is 5 years older than me and I plan on retiring under FERS at age 60 and drawing my Social Security at 62. Recently someone mentioned if her full amount was less than half mine she would get half of mine. This sounds like a better deal, but trying to get the facts on this from the SSA Web site without a background in cryptography…