Q: I will be 57 in June with more than 25 years civil service. I was put in FERS even though I started civil service in Aug 1985 in Sigonella, Sicily. I was told I was never invested until I came to states in 1987. My question: If I retire in June, would I be responsible for the 5 percent deduction for MRA? I have asked several people and still do not understand. A: Although you have reached your minimum retirement age (MRA), you have fewer than 30 years of service. If you were to retire before reaching 30 years of service,…
Browsing: Creditable service: FERS
Q: My wife just retired with 21 years and five months of government service at age 60. Her first two years and 10 months she was a WG employee at the Navy Exchange. She then became a DOD employee (with no break in service) and was told all of her WG time transferred to the GS position. Her service commencement date has always included her time as a WG employee. OPM has told her she is not eligible for the Social Security supplement because her time as a WG does not count, and she only has 18 years and 7…
Q: I am a USDA employee who will be eligible for FERS retirement at age 62 in January 2012. For the past year, I having been trying to find out though my agency’s Human Resources Department whether my work as a SCEP for the Defense Department between 1968 and 1970 qualifies as creditable service. I left the program due to a “reduction in force.” I received severance pay and withdrew my retirement contributions. If possible, I would like to buy back the time while I was on active duty. Any thoughts on how I can get an answer to my…
Q: I’m a Federal Employee Retirement System employee. My temporary time was done with one- year appointments (1984 to 1987), which were extended without a break, for a total of three years. Would that be considered “broken into discrete periods”? Where I could pick just one of those years to buy back? A: That time would be considered creditable service if you make a deposit to the retirement system. However, you would have to make a deposit for the entire period. For those years to be treated as discrete entities, there would have to be a break in service between them. In…
Q: I was recently offered voluntary early retirement from the U.S. Postal Service. I have 30 1/2 years of credible service, I am under the Federal Employees Retirement System, and I am 51 years old. I am also considered a reduction-in-force employee because our district office has been closed. Do I qualify for the special retirement supplement? A: You would be eligible for the special retirement supplement when you reach your minimum retirement age, which is 56.
Q: If I buy back my military time, can I collect both military retirement and Federal Employees Retirement System benefits? My situation is this: I am 58 years old, and I started a job with the federal government Sept. 26, 2010. My prior military service consists of nine years on active duty and 14 years in the reserves. I have submitted the forms to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service and have received my cost calculation to buy back my active-duty years. I am eligible to collect my military retirement when I turn 60. I plan to continue working for…
Q: My wife could receive an offer to retire early sometime this year because of budget cuts. She is 57 years old and has 27 years of federal service under the Federal Employees Retirement System. She will receive the FERS annuity supplement supplement until she is 62. Will she have to start taking her Social Security benefits at age 62 because she is receiving the annuity supplement, or can she hold off taking her Social Security until a later date? A: While the special retirement supplement ends at age 62, there is no requirement that a retiree apply for a…
Q: If someone who is eligible for an immediate retirement annuity chooses to simply quit federal employment and submit for the annuity at a later time, where does that person apply for the annuity? A: You can apply on your own. Just go to the Office of Personnel Management website and click on Find Form(s). Fill out an SF 2801 (Civil Service Retirement System) or SF 3107 (Federal Employees Retirement System). After you’re done, print a copy and send it to the following address: Office of Personnel Management, Retirement Operations Center, PO Box 45, Boyers, PA 16017-0045 and mark it…
Q: Is military active duty for training time creditable toward total years of civilian service for retirement purposes under the Civil Service Retirement System or Federal Employees Retirement System? If so, has it always been that way? If it has not always been that way, when did it change? Please include any relevant law or regulation. A: You’ll find what you’re looking for on the Office of Personnel Management website here.
Q: I am under the Federal Employees Retirement System and have been employed by the Environmental Protection Agency for 26 years. I am a GS-12/6, and am 48 1/2 years old. I would like to know exactly when can I retire and any other related details. A: The earliest you could retire is when you reach your minimum retirement age, which in your case is 56. Because you will have more than 30 years of service at that time, you’ll be able to retire immediately and receive an unreduced annuity.