Q. I am 56 years old and currently working as a Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) employee. Though my civil service began nearly three decades ago, I am a grey area Army Reservist retiree. I have 24 years of service with 2 periods of Active Duty service with DD 214s for both. I have not bought any of my military time back, which is why my service computation date got pushed back by four years. I see my estimated buy back for the first period of active duty, but I’m not sure how to determine what the interest would be or how much…
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Q. I am somewhat confused as to what the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) Offset actually is. I am quite sure they have been taking Social Security out of my checks for the extent of my government employment, but it was my understanding that CSRS Offset retirees were still able to draw Social Security with their retirement checks. Here’s some of my history, for context: I started working for the VA in March 1981. I have had no break in my service and chose not to switch to FERS when it was offered to me. I have completed nearly 35 years of service. I…
Q. I was a student aide at the EPA in the late 80s and early 90s. Back then, student aides were federal employees, not under a separate contract. My time as a student shows up in my service computation date. I don’t know if retirement deductions were taken from my pay. I was half-time or less during the school year, but full time in the summers.
Q. I was a federal retired disabled annuitant from Aug. 14, 2013 until May 31, 2015, when I was hired by the State Department after receiving a kidney transplant six months ago. The human resources department says the 20 months of disability retirement constitutes as a break in service; they have recalculated my previous Service Computation Date of July 17, 2000 to May 4, 2002. I was told by OPM that my disability does not count as a break in service. Is this accurate? If not can you direct me to the Fed Regs to dispute this?
Q. I’m a FERS employee. Where do I go to find a calculator on when I can retire?
Q. I have been a Postal worker since 1988. I bought back my military service. My Postal RTR detail report calculates my retirement computation date as September 13, 1982, as well as my annuity computation date. My RIF comp date is the same. My Navy service began on June 9, 1981. Is there a reason why there is a year-and-3-month discrepancy? Are there conflicting calculations that I’m not aware of?
Q. I am a federal employee of 18 years. I am considering going LWOP or possibly a break in service (returning after I had formally resigned). How does each situation affect my retirement benefits (cash per month)? Do the top three years apply to the 18 years of service or to the time of service after a return from a break in service? In other words, if I departed as a GS-14 and returned and then retired as a GS-13, would the top three years be taken off the GS-14 salary or the GS-13 salary?
The “high-3” is an essential element in the formula used to calculate your annuity. But what does the term high-3 mean? And how do you figure out what yours is? The high-3 defined Your high-3 is the average of your highest rates of basic pay over any three consecutive years of creditable civilian service, no matter when they occur in your career, with each pay rate weighted by the length of time it was received. That three-year period starts and ends on the dates that produce the highest average pay. It starts on the first day that leads to the…
Q. I was hired at the Defense Department in October 2012, and thus I contributed .8 percent of my pay to FERS. I transferred to VA in April 2014 with no break in service and now have 3.1 percent of my pay deducted, and I am told that it is increasing to 4.4 percent of my pay, as this rate applies to new hires after January 2014. Is it correct that I should be treated as a new hire, despite in all other areas being treated as a transfer (leave carried forward, no ability to change benefits until open season)?…
Q. I’m under FERS, and my service computation date is Nov. 26, 1983. A co-worker in my organization has a SCD of Nov. 7, 1983, and is under CSRS. What is the SCD cutoff date for FERS vs. CSRS? A. As a rule, employees who were first hired before Dec. 31, 1983, are covered by CSRS. To review that requirement and other details which might affect your situation, go to www.opm.gov/retirement-services/publications-forms/csrsfers-handbook/c010.pdf. If you meet the qualifications to be covered by CSRS, you’ll need to go to your personnel office and ask them to help you process your claim under the…