Q: I am a retired soldier with 22.5 years of active-duty service, half enlisted and half officer, and four years in the reserves. When I entered the GS system a little over a year ago, I was told that my service time was used to compute my annual and sick leave and that I would be maxed out at eight hours per pay period because I had more than 20 years of service. I was only accruing four hours per pay period for some time, but just figured there was a paperwork backlog. I eventually asked about the matter and…
Q: I am 58 years old, and I started work for the government in 1981. I have 30 years of service as a Defense Department civilian employee and four years as an active-duty service member. I am under the Civil Service Retirement System and plan to retire at age 62 with 38 years of total service. I have not bought back any of my active-duty time. What impact will that have on my retirement annuity and what impact will that have if I decide to take another job after I retire? A: Because you were first hired before Oct. 1,…
Q: I am a postal inspector under the Civil Service Retirement System. I plan on retiring with more than 2,500 hours of sick leave. The Office of Personnel Management shows a sick leave conversion chart rate based on 2,087 hours a year. The Postal Service human resources department uses a chart based on 2,080 a year. Upon retirement, does OPM accept the Postal Service conversion rate, or do they calculate based on their own conversion chart? Is there a reason the Postal Service uses a different conversion chart? A: By law, a work year is 2,087 hours long. OPM will…
Q: I recently read an article on the minimum retirement age in which the author states, “Here are some reasons that the MRA+10 option is not more popular than it is (other than the fact you’ll not be receiving an annuity for two years).” I’ve been considering the MRA+10 option for quite some time now, and this is the first that I have heard of not receiving and annuity for two years. In all of the literature I’ve read on MRA+10, I cannot find any mention of it. Do MRA+10 retirees have to wait two years to receive their annuity?…
Q: I just received notice from Social Security that my benefits check may be reduced because of the windfall elimination provision. I retired under the Civil Service Retirement System Offset program Oct. 31, 2010. My time in service under CSRS was approximately five years, nine months. I withdrew the money that I put in after each job because at the time I did not expect to retire from civil service. My last withdrawal from CSRS was from the period of May 1981 to December 1982. I returned to government work in May 1984 and was placed in the CSRS Offset…
Q: I was recently offered voluntary early retirement from the U.S. Postal Service. I have 30 1/2 years of credible service, I am under the Federal Employees Retirement System, and I am 51 years old. I am also considered a reduction-in-force employee because our district office has been closed. Do I qualify for the special retirement supplement? A: You would be eligible for the special retirement supplement when you reach your minimum retirement age, which is 56.
Q: If I buy back my military time, can I collect both military retirement and Federal Employees Retirement System benefits? My situation is this: I am 58 years old, and I started a job with the federal government Sept. 26, 2010. My prior military service consists of nine years on active duty and 14 years in the reserves. I have submitted the forms to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service and have received my cost calculation to buy back my active-duty years. I am eligible to collect my military retirement when I turn 60. I plan to continue working for…
Q: How soon can I return to federal service after taking a $25,000 buyout? I am a federal employee, GS-14. A: Five years. If you return before that, you’ll have to repay the amount you received plus accrued interest.
Q: My wife passed away five years ago at age 54. She had many years of working and adding to Social Security. I am recently retired under the Civil Service Retirement System. I was told that I will not be able to receive any of my wife’s contributions to Social Security. Is that true? If so, will that law ever be changed? A: Any Social Security survivor benefit you are entitled to based on your late wife’s work record will be impacted by the government pension offset. The GPO will reduce that benefit by $2 for every $3 you receive…
Q: If I am eligible for a discontinued service annuity and I am separated due to a reduction in force, would I be eligible to receive unemployment benefits in addition to the DSA? A: Probably not, but you’ll have to check with your state employment security agency to be sure.