Q. I’m a CSRS employee who will be retiring on Dec. 31. Over the years I worked odd jobs and earned 32 Social Security credits. When I retire I’ll be paid for a lot of unused annual leave. Can that time be used to buy additional Social Security credits? A. Your paid annual leave cannot be used to get Social Security credits. Only earnings from wages or self-employment that are subject to Social Security taxes can secure those credits.
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Q. Do CSRS Offset retirees receive separate payments from Social Security and the Office of Personnel Management? A. If you retire before age 62, you will receive a single annuity payment from OPM. When you reach age 62, your CSRS annuity will be reduced by the amount of Social Security benefit you earned while a CSRS offset employee, and you will begin receiving a separate Social Security payment that represents the amount of Social Security benefit you earned while covered by CSRS Offset. That payment will be larger if you have other Social Security-covered service outside of your years as…
Q. I have been working under FERS. I plan to retire in 13 years at age 67. Before coming to work for the government, I worked in the private sector and paid into the Social Security system for over 30 years. Will I receive both a full FERS and a full Social Security benefit when I retire? A. Yes. You’ll receive a FERS annuity based on your years of FERS-covered employment and, because you will have reached your full Social Security retirement age, a Social Security benefit based on all your Social Security-covered employment.
Q. I’ve just received a large civil penalty from a state. Can they garnish my Social Security benefit when I become eligible for that benefit? A. It all depends. Section 407 of the Social Security Act states that “none of the moneys paid or payable under this subchapter shall be subject to execution, levy, attachment, garnishment or other legal process.” However, there are exceptions, such as the collection of delinquent federal taxes or delinquent child support. You should consult an attorney who can determine if your benefit can be garnished.
Q. I was 56 years old with 33 years total government service and retired regular FERS then applied for Social Security Disability Insurance and was approved with back pay after the first 6 months of my retirement date. I only got $685 of my special retirement supplement because several of those years was active duty, which I repaid within the first 36 months of my career at the U.S. Postal Service. Now I am wondering what will happen to my annuity when I turn 62 and my SRS is eliminated. A. At age 62, your special retirement supplement will end;…
Q. I’m a FERS employee who is eligible to retire at age 56 with 32 years of service. However, I’m planning to work until age 62. What happens to the special retirement supplement? Do I lose it completely? A. The special retirement supplement is designed to bridge the gap between when you retire and age 62 when you are first eligible for a Social Security benefit. If you retire at 62 or later, you won’t be entitled to that benefit.
Q. I am on disability retirement and disability Social Security. I will be 62 next year. How much will my retirement be? A. When you reach age 62, your FERS disability benefit will be recomputed as if you had worked to age 62. Therefore, your actual service will be added to the time you spent on disability. The total time will be multiplied by 1.0 percent (1.1 percent if your combined actual service and time on disability add up to 20 at least 20 years.) That figure will then be multiplied by your high-3 salary on the day you were…
Q. Does the WEP start when you sign up for Social Security or when you retire from your non-SS job? A. First things first: Unless you have reached your full Social Security retirement age and are still working, any Social Security benefit you are entitled to would be reduced by $1 for every $2 you earn above the Social Security earning limit. In 2019 that limit is $17,640. Full Social Security retirement ages range from 65 to 67, depending on your year of birth. After you retire, the windfall elimination provision would apply. The amount of Social Security benefit you’d…
Q. I am a widow for two years and I am receiving a federal pension and also my Social Security. I’m 67 years old. If in the future I get married again, can I lose my federal pension? A. No, if you are referring to a federal annuity based on your own work record. You could remarry at any age without it having any affect of that benefit. However, if you are referring to a federal survivor annuity, surviving spouses only lose that benefit if they remarry before age 55.
Q. I have worked for the government in two different agencies. I worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 12 years under CSRS, which was followed by time in the U.S. Department of Commerce for the remainder. This includes four years of military service. There was a break of more than a year between the two. I was classified as being Offset CSRS in the Department of Commerce, but I have always paid into Social Security both in the Postal Service and Commerce. Shouldn’t I be exempt from WEP? A. Because you had a period of service under CSRS –…