Q: I am trying to help my dad find answers to a letter he received from the Social Security Administration which states that it is stopping his widower’s benefits after 13 years. He receives a government pension. He is given the option to appeal; does he have grounds, or is this a change in law that he must accept? A: Because you haven’t given me much to go on, I’m going to have to guess that your father’s Social Security survivor benefit was affected by the government pension offset provision of law. The GPO reduces that benefit for anyone who…
Browsing: Government pension offset
Q: If I retire with 30 years of federal service under the Federal Employees Retirement System at my minimum retirement age of 56 and I go back to work outside of the federal government, will I lose my Social Security supplement? A: If you exceed the Social Security earnings limit, your special retirement supplement will be reduced by $1 for every $2 you earn. In 2010, that limit is $14,160.
Q. The windfall elimination provision and government pension offset are so difficult to understand. Can you help? My husband will soon be retiring at age 62 after 21 years under FERS. I am 52, but hope to leave service ahead of retirement. I currently have the following: * 52 quarters of substantial Social Security contributions, including three years under CSRS Offset. * Three years under CSRS Offset (2007-2009). * 12 years under FSPS (Pre-1983 Foreign Service Retirement system) (1982-1994). * Seven years under an international employer where I did not pay Social Security (1994-1999; 2005-2007) Can you help me determine…
Q. I will soon be a CSRS retiree — no offset, no military service, just 30 years with the federal government. My wife has worked for many years in the private sector and is covered by Social security. If she dies before I do, will I receive her full Social Security or any of it? A. Any Social Security survivor benefit to which you are entitled would be affected by the government pension offset provision of law. The GPO would reduce that benefit by $2 for every $3 you receive in your CSRS annuity.
Q. I have a question about the CSRS system and the impact of my wife’s Social Security. I will be retiring in January 2011 with 40-plus years of federal government experience. I don’t have enough quarters to qualify for Social Security. My only Social Security quarters are from when I worked summer jobs back when I was in college before 1970. My wife will be applying for a reduced Social Security benefit when she turns 62 this July. Will her benefit be affected by my CSRS annuity or vice versa? A. Neither her Social Security benefit nor your CSRS annuity…
Q. My husband is retired from the Army and is now working as a FERS employee. Once he can retire at 62, does Social Security offset his military? I am medically retired under CSRS. Since I did not pay into Social Security, can I collect Social Security under my husband? A. Any Social Security benefit to which he would be entitled will be in addition to his military retired pay. That benefit will be based on his total years of Social Security-covered service. If he meets the age and service requirement to retire under FERS, based solely on his FERS…
Q. I have over 30 years of substantial earnings under Social Security. My spouse has 20 years of substantial earnings under Social Security. She also falls under the windfall elimination provision (WEP) because she is an educator and will receive a pension. My benefits are such that if she accepts the spousal benefit, rather than her own, it will be higher than her regular payment. That would then be subject to WEP. But, since I have over 30 years of substantial earnings, should she be eligible for the full spousal benefit? If she had over 30 years she would receive…
Q. I am retired under a combination of CSRS (14 years) and FERS (12 years). My CSRS annuity is $3,000 a month and my Social Security is $600 a month. If my spouse dies, can I get any part of his $1,600 monthly Social Security? A. If you are a federal retiree who elected to switch from the Civil Service Retirement System to the Federal Employees’ Retirement System (FERS) on or before June 30, 1988 or you if you switched after that date, including during the open season from July 1, 1998, through December 31, 1998, the fact that you had at least…
Q. I am a government DoD CSRS employee of 38 years and plan on working for another couple of years –- I want that 40 years with 80 percent of my salary as retirement. I turn 62 this September and have been told I can draw my ex’s Social Security starting Oct 1. We were married for 28 years. Is this true? Is there a limit on the amount of money I can draw while I am still employed? I know when I retire, it will offset my retirement (which I feel is unfair). A. Because your marriage lasted at…
Q: I am retiring soon under the Federal Employees Retirement System and my spouse is already retired under the Civil Service Retirement System. Should I die before her, will she be able to collect unreduced Social Security survivor’s benefits? A: No, she won’t. Her survivor benefit will be subject to the government pension offset provision of the law, which will reduce that benefit by $2 for every $3 she receives in her CSRS annuity.