Q. I am under CSRS and 53 years and 10 months old. My full voluntary retirement age is 55 (I would have 33 years in). I’m considering applying for disability retirement but want to be sure I understand all of the ramifications. These are the things I think I understand to be true. Please correct me if I’m wrong: * A disability annuity would be calculated as if I were to take an early-out, but the age reduction wouldn’t apply. * Disability eligibility must be “recertified” annually until age 60 is reached. * On CSRS, a disability retirement doesn’t convert…
Q. My father-in-law is 82 and has been retired from the federal government for approximately 20 years. He had survivor benefits for his wife, who passed away nine months ago. He is now engaged to a new woman and wants to marry her in a few months. He seems to think he must marry her within 18 months of the time his first wife passed for her to receive his survivor benefits. Is this true?
Q. I became eligible for MRA +10 on May 14. I resigned June 1. I turned 60 on Aug. 1. I will not apply for my retirement annuity until I turn 62. I was told that I can apply for an annuity when I turn 62 on Aug. 1, 2015 and that, at that time, I am also eligible for federal government insurance. Is this correct? Additionally, if it is correct, what do federal retirees pay for health insurance in 2013 (Blue Cross/Blue Shield self-only). I realize that the price will be different in 2015.
Q. I am retiring Sept. 30. I have been continuously employed by the federal government since Sept. 21, 1981. I first worked for the Department of the Interior from Sept. 21, 1981, to Feb. 27, 1987. I was under FICA from Sept. 21, 1981, to Oct. 29, 1983, after which time I was covered under CSRS. I became employed by the Justice Department (law enforcement 1811) on March 1, 1987. I transferred to FERS on Jan. 3, 1999. I understand that service is calculated differently for service from Sept. 21, 1981, to Sept. 30, 1982, and Oct. 1, 1982, to…
Q. I am CSRS and considering a retirement date of Oct. 31. But I want to check with you if a few assumptions that I am making are valid. First, Oct. 31 is the second Thursday in the pay period, and we work a compressed 5/4/9 schedule, where the second Friday in a pay period is a regular day off. Will retirement on Thursday, Oct. 31 complete the pay period for me and allow me to accrue the annual and sick leave for that pay period, and the full month of November retirement pay? Second, I am hoping to take…
Q. Do you know how much rates will go up in new open season 2014 on plans? Also, the deductible amount on each plan? I have National Association of Letter Carriers Cigna and am retired under FERS. Are there any new plans coming up?
Q. Your response on Aug. 2 indicates the lump-sum payment of unused annual leave is reduced automatically by 25 percent to cover federal, state and local taxes. The lump-sum payment is subject to Social Security withholdings. Is the Social Security taken out as part of the 25 percent, is it taken before the taxes come out, or after the taxes come out?
Q. Will annual leave be paid under phased retirement, or will the participant maintain the same leave balance in phased retirement?
Q. I am a FERS employee with a service computation date of Feb. 4, 2004. I have only been able to carry Federal Employees Health Benefits in the last four years and eight months because of a split in service. We are now being offered a Voluntary Early Retirement Authority/Voluntary Separation Incentive Pay buyout. Would I be able to accept this buyout and still keep my FEHB even though I do not have a complete five years of coverage?
Q. I was recently informed that I was a FERCCA and had an option to select CSRS Offset. I was also told that the 1 percent and matching in my Thrift Savings Plan would be removed if I selected CSRS Offset. My human resources office told me that it would be the exact amount that was put into my TSP. If it made money, I would be able to keep the difference. Likewise, if it lost money, I would have to make up the difference. So I selected CSRS Offset. Now they are beginning to remove the 1 percent by…