Q. I retired in November 2009 under Voluntary Early Retirement Authority with an incentive. I was 53 with almost 23 years under FERS. I turned 56 in April. How long does it take for my special retirement supplement to kick in? I keep calling the Office of Personnel Management and they tell me I’m not eligible until I’m 60. Then I receive a five-page letter from the legal department of OPM stating I am eligible and gives me the figure I will get starting June 1. I still have not received it, and when I call they have no answers…
Browsing: VERA
Q. I accepted a Voluntary Early Retirement Authority that was offered to all postmasters at 51 years old with 31 years of service from the Postal Service on July 31, 2012. I received a $20,000 retirement incentive bonus paid out half in December 2012 and half in December 2013. I am looking to work for the New Jersey Army National Guard as a federal technician. Will I have to pay back the $20,000 retirement incentive bonus? Will my pay be reduced by the amount I receive in my monthly annuity?
Q. I acquired 30 years of service in May and will reach my minimum retirement age in November. If I accept a Voluntary Early Retirement Authority or Voluntary Separation Incentive Pay prior to my MRA, I understand I will not receive the special retirement supplement until I reach my MRA. What about the 5 percent reduction per year prior to age 62? My Federal Employees Health Benefits will be fine as I’ve been enrolled all along, correct?
Q. I am a FERS employee in the Justice Department with 25 years of government service as of February. I will be 60 in two years. For six months in 2012, I worked a 28-hour part-time schedule. Will this have any effect on my special retirement supplement if I leave the government before my full eligibility date in 2015 and postpone my pension until I turn 60? Also, will accepting a Voluntary Early Retirement Authority, should one be offered, before I reach age 60 affect the SRS with respect to that part-time period?
Q. I am 62 years and 10 months old with 21 years in civil service. I converted to nonappropriated funds four years ago but kept my FERS retirement plan. I am also a retired disabled veteran. I received a reduction-in-force notice due to my garrison closing. Assigned employees in the closing garrison were not offered Voluntary Early Retirement Authority/Voluntary Separation Incentive Pay, but nearby communities were. What is the best course of action in this matter?
Q. I have 32 creditable years of federal service. I turn 54 in September. I’m on CSRS retirement. If I’m offered the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority/Voluntary Separation Incentive Pay, does the 2 percent-per-year age thing apply?
Q. I was offered a verbal Voluntary Separation Incentive Pay/Voluntary Early Retirement Authority. I was told it was an official offer. Now I am being told it is only official if it is in writing. Is this true?
Q. I am a CSRS employee with 32 years of service. I am 52 years old. Under a Voluntary Early Retirement Authority/Voluntary Separation Incentive Pay program, could I apply for early retirement and not be penalized for the years before age 55?
Q. Would a retiree under Voluntary Early Retirement Authority or Voluntary Separation Incentive Pay, who would be eligible for the special retirement supplement, which is subject to an earnings test, and plans to work after retirement, be better to take the SRS and let it be reduced by the earnings test, or elect to forgo the SRS?
Q. I have 26 years of service (FERS) and am 51 years old in the Defense Department. I am told that a reduction in force is coming. I understand that if I am RIF’ed, it is the same result as a Voluntary Early Retirement Authority without the Voluntary Separation Incentive Pay. Since my organization is not offering VERA/VSIP, can I volunteer to take the RIF?