Q: I’m a disabled federal retiree drawing a federal retirement. I paid into Social Security while on National Guard status for 30 years. I’m currently working and paying into Social Security and will have enough quarters to draw Social Security payments at age 62. I understand there is an offset that will apply to my retirement. I have received a Social Security statement every year; my past statement shows I will draw around $750 at age 62. Is this my retirement amount after the offset, or do I need to reduce this amount by the offset amount? If that’s the…
Browsing: Windfall elimination provision
Q: After reading all the horror stories about the windfall elimination provision and Social Security demanding payback of erroneous payments, I’m writing to verify my Civil Service Retirement System Offset and WEP reductions. I have 22 years of CSRS service, from 1973 to 1995, put in 13-plus years of nonfederal work, and then was re-employed with the federal government as a CSRS Offset employee in 2008. I plan to retire at 62 with 27 years, 8 months of federal service, with about five years of that under CSRS offset. My personnel office says that I am not subject to the…
Q: I am 65 years old and will be 66 in January. I am contemplating retirement from the federal government. I worked in the private sector for more than 20 years and switched over to the government in 1985. I am under the Civil Service Retirement system. I was informed by a co-worker that my Social Security benefits, which I am counting on heavily to support my family, will be reduced substantially because I am under CSRS. Is this true? A: Your Social Security benefit would only be affected if you have fewer than 30 years of Social Security-covered employment.…
Q: I retired with Civil Service Retirement System at 50 years old with 25 years’ law enforcement service. I’ve been self-employed for the past three years and reached my 40 quarters, including my pre-federal employment. I make a decent self-employment income now at around $90,000, and pay substantial Social Security quarterly payments. My concern is that basically the offset is going to take away most of my Social Security pay at 62/65. That said, are my payments to Social Security still mandatory? I realize my quarterly taxes are, and the IRS distributes them accordingly. A: Deductions for Social Security are…
Q: My mother started with the U.S. Postal Service in 1974. Due to health issues, she retired on disability (not based on age or years of service) with her annuity commencing in September 1992. Her husband died in March and was receiving Social Security. When she applied for survivor benefits, it took almost three months for the Office of Personnel Managment to get back to Social Security and we were told even at that point they did not provide the information originally requested. Social Security made the decision that the survivor benefits fell under the windfall elimination provision. We are…
Q: I will retire at the end of this year with 33 years’ service in the Civil Service Retirement System. I will be 58 years old. I have 10 quarters of Social Security credits I earned before working for the federal government. Under a new law effective Jan. 1, 2010, federal employees can be re-employed after retirement on a part-time basis without the earnings affecting their retirement annuity. Am I assuming correctly that the part-time earnings I receive count toward Social Security? Is there an effect on the windfall elimination provision? A: You would be covered by Social Security during…
Q: My husband recently turned 62 and applied for Social Security benefits. He is a previous Civil Service Retirement System employee, so we know that his Social Security benefit will be reduced. The problem is that he was previously married and must pay his ex-spouse a large portion of his CSRS retirement. Yet when his retirement income from CSRS was taken into account in order to offset his benefits, the Social Security Administration used his gross benefit amount and did not subtract the annuity for his former spouse. This reduced his benefits by a large portion. Why is it that…
Q: My spouse is a civil service employee and is planning to retire within the next eight months. He is 64 years old and will be 65 in March. He could have retired at age 55 but did not because of personal reasons. His health is beginning to fail him now, and he cannot continue to work in his current capacity. He worked more than 10 years at other companies before joining the civil service. He can receive full retirement benefits from the Civil Service Retirement System, but he is also eligible for a very small Social Security check, they…
Q: I received a federal disability pension in 1991. I retrained and was able to work until 2004 when the same condition worsened. I applied for Social Security disability compensation and eceived it in 2008. I just received a notice that the federal civil service disability pension is considered a windfall. A calculation will be made with the windfall rule to reduce my Social Security disability. Is this discrimination against the disabled? Is there a way that I can fight or protest this situation? A: Apparently, you are subject to the windfall elimination provision, which applies to the Social Security…
Q: I served in the Air Force from 1971 to 1977. In 1977, I joined the Air National Guard. I retired from the ANG in 1991 with 20 years of service, including the six active-duty years. In 1977, I also got a job with the federal government as a civilian employee under the Civil Service Retirement System. In 1986, I payed back my six years of active-duty military time to receive credit for them under CSRS. I am planning to retire in 2011 from the federal government with 40 years of creditable service in CSRS, including the six years bought…