Q. The cost for the full spousal annuity is 10 percent of the retirement income. As the retirement income increases with cost-of-living adjustments, does the spousal annuity cost increase? Example: Year 1 retirement income: $50,000; spousal annuity cost: $5,000 Year 20 retirement income: $65,000; spousal annuity cost: $6,500
Browsing: SURVIVOR BENEFITS
Q. I am a retired letter carrier. My wife has been on my Federal Employees Health Benefits since my retirement four years ago. She is enrolled in a graduate program and receives health insurance through her university. Can I drop her from my health insurance while she is covered by the university and then add her again when she graduates?
Q. I am 58 years old and plan to retire in the next few years. My husband turned 65 this year and plans to retire in the next year. We are covered under Federal Employees Health Benefits. Should my husband be taken off my medical plan to reduce my contribution? How will this affect his Medicare coverage?
Q. Will I be able to draw Social Security if my husband is retired military and retired CSRS? I have work for more than 30 years paying Social Security tax and have been told I can’t draw. Will my husband be able to draw because he has paid Social Security tax as a self-employed contractor?
Q. I plan to retire in 2014 with a CSRS pension. Will my spouse’s Social Security benefits be reduced when I begin to receive my CSRS pension? I do not have sufficient quarters to qualify for Social Security. My wife has never been employed by the federal government and has only held jobs in the private sector where she has paid into Social Security. She meets the eligibility requirements to receive Social Security benefits, and she intends to apply to receive her Social Security benefits this season.
Q. My husband will retire under CSRS. I will retire under FERS. Concerning survivor benefits: If we elect to have a reduced annuity in each of our retirements for the spouse, will that spouse receive the maximum survivor annuity plus their own federal retirement upon the death of the other spouse? In other words, can a spouse simultaneously receive a survivor annuity and their own federal retirement pension? Are there any penalties or reductions because we both work for the federal government?
Q. Could you please tell me how to calculate how my CSRS annuity would change if my wife predeceases me? I have elected a full annuity for her (I retired in 2006). I assume that my annuity will increase if she dies first, but I do not know how to figure the increase.
Q. During retirement, what happens to the survivor benefit if your spouse predeceases you? Is there a change in the annuity amount?
Q. I was a federal law enforcement officer who retired this year under CSRS. My wife is a federal employee who will work six or seven more years. We have Blue Cross/Blue Shield-Fed as our health plan. The premiums have always been paid out of my salary. Would it be most beneficial for us to have the health coverage premiums made from my annuity or from my spouse’s salary. Would there be any negatives to having those premiums made from my spouse’s salary?
Q. I am 50 years old and have worked for the Department of the Navy for 25 years under FERS. The last five years of my career has been part time (20 hours per week). My wife has also worked for the Navy for 12 years (full time under FERS) and provides our Federal Employee Health Benefits family plan coverage. I have been covered by an FEHB plan consecutively for over 25 years. If I were offered early retirement, could I pick up the FEHB family plan coverage and carry it into retirement with me? If not, why not?