Q. I have been on disability retirement from the Postal Service since October 1988. I am 56 years old (57 in March) and would like to inquire as to my options to retire under MRA. Also, can I receive a ballpark estimate of how much I would get (monthly/yearly) and all other pertinent information? I believe that I read on the Office of Personnel Management’s Web page that it would be 1 percent of my high-3 income while at the post office, but I am not sure how to do this calculation. If this is an option for me to…
Browsing: COLA
Q. I have been hearing impaired all my life. My audiograms (hearing tests) throughout the years have shown a progressive decrease in my hearing. My recent last audiogram showed that my hearing is so bad I automatically meet the qualifications for Social Security Disability Insurance. I have worked in a federal prison for nine years and have feared for my safety for quite a while, but am the sole bread winner of my family and need the money to survive. As a requirement for FERS disability retirement, I’m supposed to apply for SSDI also. On one hand, I automatically qualify,…
Q. I retired on disability in 2008 in a 6(c) (law enforcement) position. I would have been eligible to retire this year (at age 52) had I not become disabled. When will my retirement be recalculated since I fall under the age 57 mandatory retirement?
Q. On May 21, you answered a question: “As a rule, FERS retirees don’t receive cost-of-living increases on their special retirement supplements, nor do they receive them on their annuities until they reach age 62. Note: Special category employees, such as law enforcement officers and firefighters, and disability retirees receive COLAs regardless of the age at which they retire.” My statement for Jan. 1, 2014, reflects a partial COLA (retired March 31, 2013) on the annuity but not on the SRS. Do special category employees such as law enforcement officers get COLAs on the SRS?
Q. I am a FERS employee being considered for the 60/40 disability retirement. When calculating the amount the person receives based on the high-3 average, is locality pay included? Also, if locality pay is included, is the disability payment adjusted if the person moves to a different locality?
Q. The cost for the full spousal annuity is 10 percent of the retirement income. As the retirement income increases with cost-of-living adjustments, does the spousal annuity cost increase? Example: Year 1 retirement income: $50,000; spousal annuity cost: $5,000 Year 20 retirement income: $65,000; spousal annuity cost: $6,500
Q. In August 2006, I was hired as a marketing/outreach/sponsorship director (nonappropriated funds). My responsibilities grew to include a supervisory role of the graphics department (two employees). In August 2012, I had the opportunity to apply — and was selected for — public affairs specialist (1035-9). I am now the deputy public affairs officer. I was told that, with an NAF-to-GS transition, my pay would rise only to the next step. My concern is that the human resources office included locality pay as part of the equation in determining my GS pay. I didn’t receive locality pay at NAF and…
Q. I am looking at retiring in September 2014 at age 57 years and five months. I will have 34 years in FERS and a little less than a year of sick leave to convert. I have $359,000 in my Thrift Savings Plan account. I am single, never married. What are my best options? I am located in an isolated area and am unable to attend any retirement seminars, especially now with the budget issues.
Q. I always thought retiring Jan. 3 was a good idea, but let’s assume I plan to retire in 2014. If there is a retiree cost-of-living adjustment in 2015, and I retire Dec. 3, 2014, will my annuity increase in January by the 2015 COLA percentage? (If not, how far back into 2014 would I need to retire to get the next COLA?) Is it 1/12 of COLA per month prior to the January increase?
Q. I have 174 hours of sick leave. I’m 62 under FERS. Should I retire Dec. 29, where I’d only get half of my unused sick time to add to my annuity but get the 1 percent cost-of-living adjustment in January? Or should I retire Jan. 3, 2014?