Q. I retired a year-and-a-half ago. When my wife died, I informed OPM and sent them the paperwork needed to eliminate the reduction in my annuity to provide a survivor benefit for her. OPM recomputed my annuity and increased it, but only for the months between when she died and the present. Shouldn’t I have received a payment that was retroactive to the date I retired? A. No. Because the law doesn’t provide for retroactive payments, OPM could only increase your annuity prospectively beginning with the month in which your wife died.
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Q. I’ve just received a large civil penalty from a state. Can they garnish my Social Security benefit when I become eligible for that benefit? A. It all depends. Section 407 of the Social Security Act states that “none of the moneys paid or payable under this subchapter shall be subject to execution, levy, attachment, garnishment or other legal process.” However, there are exceptions, such as the collection of delinquent federal taxes or delinquent child support. You should consult an attorney who can determine if your benefit can be garnished.
Q. I was a government employee for several years and didn’t ask for a refund of my retirement contributions when I left. How can I find a record of my employment and if I’m eligible for a deferred annuity? A. Your employment record is stored in the National Personnel Records Center, located in St. Louis, Mo. You’ll find the instructions for getting that information at www.archives.gov/st-louis/civilian-personnel/index.html#. Once you have it, you can complete OPM Form 1496A, Application for Deferred Retirement, available at www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/opm1496a.pdf, and send it to OPM. If you have at least 5 years of creditable service and are at least 62…
Q. If I am involuntarily separated because of my performance with a SCD date of 9/22/90 at the age of 62, will I be able to retire? A. Yes. That’s because any federal employee who is at least 62 years old and has at least five years of creditable service can retire and receive an annuity.
Q. I’m a widow and I’ve been receiving a survivor annuity based on my late husband’s federal employment. When I die can that benefit be passed on to my children? A. No, it can’t. Your survivor annuity will end with your death.
Q. I am a FERS retiree who elected a 25 percent survivor annuity for my husband. If he dies first, will I get a refund of the amount my benefit was reduced? A. No, you won’t. However, your own annuity would be increased to what it would have been if you hadn’t elected a survivor annuity.
Q. I was 56 years old with 33 years total government service and retired regular FERS then applied for Social Security Disability Insurance and was approved with back pay after the first 6 months of my retirement date. I only got $685 of my special retirement supplement because several of those years was active duty, which I repaid within the first 36 months of my career at the U.S. Postal Service. Now I am wondering what will happen to my annuity when I turn 62 and my SRS is eliminated. A. At age 62, your special retirement supplement will end;…
Q. I’m a FERS employee. I understand that when I retire I will have two survivor annuity options, either 50 percent or 25 percent of my full annuity. What does “full annuity” mean? Does it mean that my wife will get 50 percent of what my annuity would be before the 10 percent reduction to pay for it, or will she get 50 percent after the 10 percent is taken out to pay for the full survivor annuity? A. If you die, she would get 50 percent of what your annuity would have been if your annuity hadn’t been reduced…
Q. I’m a FERS employee who is thinking of retiring and wondering if there is anything that precludes me from retiring one day and coming back to work as a federal employee the next? A. If you met the age and service requirements to retire on an immediate annuity, your annuity would continue; however, the salary of your new position would be offset by the amount of that annuity. Further, any lump-sum payment for unused annual leave you received would have to be returned to your former agency. Note: If you received a buyout payment, that money would also have…
Q. I will have 20 years 6(c) time on Jan. 10, 2020. I will be 45 years old. I am buying back 9 years of active-duty military time. When I hit 20 years 6c, can I retire, although I know that I won’t be able to start collecting retirement pay until I’m 50? A. If you left government after you had 20 years of covered service, you wouldn’t be eligible for a deferred annuity until you reach your minimum retire age (MRA), which is 57. That annuity would be computed using the more generous formula for law enforcement officers. Any…