Q. I’m under FERS and worried about a reduction in my Social Security benefits after retirement. My Social Security benefits are not calculated on an assumption of $110,000 a year until I retire. If I elect to retire with 31 years of service at my minimum retirement age of 56, will the years following my retirement without paying (or paying Social Security at a lower income level) reduce my Social Security benefits when I claim them at 62 or older?
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Q. My mother retired from the Social Security Administration under CSRS in August 2009 and passed away in September 2012. Based on her W-2, her employee contribution amounted to $55,000. In September 2012, I submitted SF 2800 for any unused employee contribution. The final lump sum was less $800, but based on her contribution, I thought the amount was low. Under CSRS, is the employee’s contribution exhausted first?
Q. I have been receiving Social Security Disability Insurance for a total disability since 2008. From 1981 to 1989, I was a CSRS offset employee in the USPS. When I tried to apply for my CSRS pension, I was informed by letter that I had to wait until I reached age 62, which is unlikely, or withdraw the small amount I contributed as a lump sum. Is it not possible to apply for and receive my CSRS pension when completely disabled? I have read CSRS Pamphlet No. 7 and searched the website Q&A, and I am very confused.
Q. My father is receiving both a disability benefit and a monthly federal pension from CSRS. His wife is in a nursing home and has been on Medicaid since June 2011. Her Social Security is paid directly to the nursing home. She is given only a small amount and the nursing home keeps the remainder. If my father should pass before her, will the CSRS survivor annuity amount go directly to the nursing home, as well?
Q: I plan to retire this year. I am under CSRS. I understand the WEP for me but have some doubts about the Social Security benefits of my wife. She has been paying Social Security all her life and never worked for a government with another type of pension. Is her Social Security retirement affected because of me? If I choose a survivor benefit, how is that going to affect her Social Security? A: The fact that you will receive a benefit from a retirement system where you didn’t pay Social Security taxes will have no affect on her own…
Q: My wife, age 66, has retired and is collecting Social Security. When I, age 67, retire under CSRS, will I be able to collect any amount of the normal half of the spousal Social Security? A: Probably not. Because you’ll receive an annuity from a retirement system in which you didn’t pay Social Security taxes, you’ll be subject to the government pension offset. The GPO will reduce your spousal benefit by $2 for every $3 you receive in your annuity.
Q. My mother just came to me and showed me her Social Security statement. She asked: “Why are they deducting $96.50 for monthly Medicare insurance when I have full medical coverage from the Navy?” She is an 86-year-old Navy veteran, and my father, who passed away three years ago, was retired from the Navy. Is this something she should be paying? A. She appears to have signed up for Medicare Part B (medical insurance), for which she would be required to pay the premiums.
Q. I am 57 and a retired federal worker. I retired under the Civil Service Retirement System at the GS-13 level. I only worked a total of about three months before my federal service paying into Social Security, so I am not eligible for any Social Security benefits for myself. However, my husband, who is 60, has worked since he was 19, and has been paying into the Social Security system since then. My understanding is that I am not eligible to receive any of his Social Security benefits because my civil service pension is too high. My question: Is…
Q. My wife is five years older than me. If I draw early Social Security at 62 (she’ll be 67), and she waits until then to draw hers, will she be eligible for the spousal benefit where she receives half of my amount because her full benefit is less than half, or do we have to wait until I’m full retirement age for her to receive it? A. No, you don’t have to wait. She will receive the larger of the two benefits: her own earned benefit or the spousal benefit based on your record.
Q. I am 68 and still working. I am fully covered by my employer’s insurance. My employer is switching our health insurance to a health savings account in 2012. You cannot contribute to a HSA if you have Medicare Part A. I have Medicare Part A. Should I drop Part A, to enroll in the HSA, or will I be penalized later when I retire and re-enroll in Part A? A. I don’t know if it makes sense for you to disenroll from Medicare Part A. Before you decide, you need to understand a few things. First, if your employer…