Q. I have 29 creditable years (including active duty) in the North Carolina National Guard. Of that time, I have 13+ years of active-duty time. I am 47 years old. If I make a deposit have the active-duty time applied to 18½ years of Postal Service, would I be able to retire from the USPS and receive my retirement right away without any penalty? Also, would I still receive my full 29 years of creditable military service as a retirement when I reach age 60, or will buying my active-duty time and applying it to USPS mess this up?
Browsing: Eligibility
Q. I recently separated from the Navy after 11 years of active duty. Federal retirement at the Bureau of Prisons is 25 years or 20 years after age 50, I believe. How does this work? Does my 11 years go toward the 25 years and allow me to retire in 14 years from my start date to equal 25 years?
Q. I worked as a temporary hire for two years aboard the Thomas G. Thompson, the University of Washington research vessel, and received time stubs for those periods. I also had my merchant marine Z-Card at the time. I am now employed as a federal officer and want to know if this time counts toward retirement.
Q. I have three years and four months time in civil service and under FERS. I will be 62 when I hit five years under FERS and eligible for pension. If I take a three-year term position at this time, will this count to make my five-year vesting, and will I be able to retire under the FERS plan the same as if I worked three more years in my current position? I have bought back my military time, which is an additional four years.
Q. I’m 54 and just hit my sixth year of service at the USPS. I’m at tractor-trailer operator under the MVS craft. How many years would I need and at what age would I qualify for medical retirement?
Q. I have 20 years of military service and will have 10 years three months of federal service when I am scheduled to return from overseas. I will be 52½. I want to submit for early retirement with 30 years’ combined service. Should I buy back my military time or receive dual retirement if my request for early retirement is approved?
Q. I’m 44 with 16 years in a covered federal law enforcement position plus three military years (which I haven’t bought back yet). How soon can I retire? When I reach 20 years in service, I’ll be only 48, or do I have to wait to reach 50? Could I retire then, and if so, what would I be leaving on the table?
Q. I am a CSRS employee who entered Veterans Affairs Department service Dec. 18, 1981, and have been employed there continuously. When am I eligible to retire? I will be 55 in January 2014.
Q. I am a 51-year-old federal employee covered by FERS. I have 31+ years of service, and my agency is offering the Voluntary Separation Incentive Pay/Voluntary Early Retirement Authority option. However, my direct management has flat-out denied my request for early retirement under the premise that it will take them more than six months to backfill my position under the current government conditions. Moreover, I am one of about 50 budget analysts, any of which should be able to do what I am doing. Do I have any recourse? Am I just plain out of luck and have no option…
Q. 1. I left the Fed in November 2011 with 22 years of creditable service (military time buyback included) and, as I am under my MRA of 56, would not be eligible for my retirement benefits without penalty until age 62, correct? 2. Can I work part time (consultant) on an agency’s payroll without affecting my current status, or would that part time add to my benefit? 3. Also, if I came back to the Fed and did three more years of full-time work before age 62, would that reinstate my health benefits?