Q. I have 12 years of military service that I bought back. I have 16 years in federal law enforcement, with that law enforcement coverage as primary retirement coverage. I just turned 52 and have been in federal service since April 27, 1997. My position was just reclassified within my agency and is now covered under secondary law enforcement retirement coverage. Do I have sufficient time in to retire immediately now that I am covered under secondary law enforcement retirement, or do I need to still work another four years to get 20 in the position?
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Q. I am a disabled veteran. I was employed by the Postal Service for almost 10 years. I was injured in 2011, the result of a previous ankle sprain. I was approved for workers’ compensation and have received benefits for the past two years. Recently, I received a letter stating that my employer USPS will separate me via disability separation. If they do, should I apply for increased veteran benefits or Social Security disability? What laws should protect me from being separated?
Q. I am a retired military rehired annuitant with the Internal Revenue Service. I retired from the Department of Agriculture with 29 years and seven months under restructuring with no penalties. My time was made up of 20 years and one week of military (waived military retirement) and nine years, six months and three weeks of civil service time for a total of 29 years and seven months. I am being told that I cannot receive benefits from my military time in the form of leave or service computation date, but they can use it to offset my current salary. …
Q. I am a GS-14, step 10, 1811 law enforcement officer. I work in the national capital region and receive Law Enforcement Availability Pay. My pay exceeds the annual federal pay cap, and approximately $650 per pay period is deducted from the amount of LEAP to bring my gross biweekly pay within mandatory limits. By law, my high-3 will be calculated using the actual pay an employee receives, the amount from which retirement deductions are taken. This means the excess pay that is withheld is not used in high-3 calculations. However, what happens to the excess funds that were earned…
Q. I am a GS 1811, injured in the line of duty in 2002. I have been collecting workers’ compensation for the past 12 years. Prior to my injury, I had 12 years 1811 time. I bought back all of my active-duty military time back (6.8 years). I am in FERS. I know that, as an 1811, my annual pension is 1.7 percent. Does my time on workers’ compensation also count toward 1811 time? I know my military time is calculated at 1.0 percent. Assuming that the compensation counts toward government service, I would have 24 years at 1.7 percent…
Q. I am a 43-year-old FERS employee who just completed my 20th year in a covered law enforcement position. I understand the 25 at any age/20 at age 50+ rules. I also understand that I may transition to a nonlaw enforcement position for the next five years and retire at age 48, or simply continue working until age 48 and retire with 25 years of law enforcement. However, at this point (age 43 with 20 years), if I retire and apply for deferred benefits, will those benefits be available when I turn 50, as 50 is the minimum retirement age…
Q. I am a Postal Service employee under FERS. I originally planned to retire Nov. 28, 2014 to avoid another holiday season. First, can you retire with more than 440 hours of annual leave? Second, if I delay my retirement to the end of December and my annual leave is paid in January, will that lessen the taxes I would pay since my income would be less?
Q. I am a rural carrier under FERS. I am 58 with 22 years. If I defer my pension until 60 to keep from getting the 5 percent-per-year penalty under 62, can I still get my health insurance now?
Q. I worked for 35 years with the Postal Service. I am 64 years old. My 40 quarters are fully paid up from work prior to the USPS job and being a military reservist and active duty. I understand the reduction that the windfall elimination provision and government pension offset takes. After my federal retirement, however, I have continued working. I have not applied for Social Security yet. I still work, landing a job at a military base as a New York state employee. So I have now been making “substantial” payments into Social Security ($100 per pay period). I…
Q. I retired on FERS disability in 2009 at the age of 46 with 17 years of service. I applied for FERS and went on various leave until approved. When I was approved, my position was eliminated from the agency within my state. I had been given a direct reassignment, which I declined due to the nature of the duties (similar to what I was disabling on) and the distance for transfer (130 miles away). Plus, the position had additional duties of driving for two hours daily — a duty I could not do (This was known for years within the…