Q: I have 15 years and 11 months military time, which I have bought back. I also have 3.5 years with the VA. Our human resources office says that I must have at least five years of civilian service in order to retire. The only reference to any kind of five-year rule I can find on the Office of Personnel Managment Web site only applies to those transferring from the Civil Service Retirement System to the Federal Employees Retirement System. I know there is a 5-percent penalty per year for every year under 62. I have several medical issues and…
Browsing: Creditable service: CSRS
Q: My husband has contributed $60,370 to the Civil Service Retirement Fund. He was employed by the Postal Service from Jan. 26, 1980, to Dec. 19, 2007. After writing to the Office of Personnel Management for a possible refund, we were informed he’s eligible for deferred annuity at age 62. This year, he will be 57 years old. He will not be seeking another federal job. We don’t know if we should just ask for a refund and roll it over into an IRA or just wait for his deferred annuity when he’s 62 in 2015. Can you tell me…
Q. Are Post Office appointments excepted service? Also, is USPS service creditable for purposes of Service Computation Date and retirement? A. While the U.S. Postal Service is a separate entity, its employees generally receive the same benefits as other federal employees. For example, they are covered by CSRS, CSRS Offset or FERS and can participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits and Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance programs and the Thrift Savings Plan. As a rule, your service computation date wouldn’t change if you took a job with the Postal Service, and the age and service requirements to retire would…
Q. I entered into federal service in 1983 under CSRS and left in 1986 after three years in order to go into graduate school. I was told I could leave my retirement money in the CSRS system and come back in later and I would be able to continue as before with that system. When I came back into federal service in 1991 I was presented with a refund check and told essentially “sorry, but you’re in FERS now”. Is this correct? Didn’t they change the rules while I was gone? A. What you were told at the time was…
Q. I worked for the federal government in a DoD position. After 18 years in this position I quit and went to work in the contracting sector. I’m applying for a position now and it states on the job announcement that former and current civil service employees may apply. Will I have any problems getting on after a break in service of over 10 years, and do my past 18 years still count for leave and retirement purposes? A. I don’t know if you’ll “have any problems getting on,” whatever that means. However, I can tell you that if you…
Q. I am a postal employee with 27 years of service. My retirement plan is CSRS. Can I transfer to another branch of the government and transfer this time with me? Will it count toward my civil service retirement? A. Yes, if you transfer to another government agency your service record will transfer with you and that time will count toward the total years needed to retire. A rare exception to that rule would be if you were to transfer to an agency that had its own retirement system and didn’t recognize your prior service.
Q. I recently retired from the Postal Service under CSRS Offset and the Air Force Reserve. Upon retirement I had my postal retirement decreased due to the amount I was receiving from the military. This was done even with a deduction of pay going to my ex-wife. She is getting part of my military and postal retirement (plus $500). What are the rules that apply to these deductions? I also put in for early Social Security and that amount was also decreased as a windfall profit (whatever that means). What are the rules on that decrease? How can I change…
Q. I left the VA after 10 years of service and was under the civil service retirement program. When I left I was a GS-5, step 4. I was employed from June 27,1977 until July 5,1987. I left my retirement funds and did not withdraw them. I thought I might return to federal service someday. I am now 57 years old. As things turned out I did not return and now I am approaching retirement age. I have been told that I may not be able to draw both Social Security and civil service retirement. I need to understand if…
Q. On March 16th you answered a question with information concerning OPM checking only once to see if you were eligible for Social Security. Would you please expound upon that statement and tell us how that would affect a CSRS employee? I am just a few quarters shy of having 40 quarters and wondering if it means I would be better off waiting until I am 62 before completing the 40 since I will retire from CSRS before I am 62. A. I think you are referring to what’s popularly referred to as “Catch-62.” If a CSRS retiree served on…
Q. I was an employed physician working alongside comission corp officers at the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands Hospital in Saipan beginning in March 1989 through June 1991. I am now a federal employee with the Indian Health Service. Would my overseas time count as creditable service? A. It would only be creditable if retirement contributions were taken from your pay. If they weren’t, that time isn’t creditable for any retirement purpose.