Q. I would like to retire in July 2013. I had 17 years, eight months in CSRS, then a break in service of 34 months. I was rehired under FERS (not the CSRS offset) and by the time I retire I’ll have 12 years, nine months in FERS (and will be 62 1/3 years old). I am a WG-11 step 5 and don’t expect to be promoted before I retire. Is there anything I should be aware of or cautious about, given this (from what I’m told is) unusual setup of both CSRS and FERS? A. Because you left your…
Q. I am 58 years old with 35 years’ service and I am eligible for optional civil service retirement. After I retire, can I apply for Social Security disability benefits ? I have had some serious health conditions and my CSRS annuity will not be enough for us to live on. I have credit for 64 Social Security quarters from other jobs I have had. A. Yes, you could apply for Social Security disability benefits; however, the criteria for Social Security disability benefits are much higher than those for retirement under CSRS or FERS. To be approved for them, you would…
Q. In order to qualify for “Advance Annual Leave,” “Advance Sick Leave” and/or the “Voluntary Leave Transfer Program,” do you have to exhaust all of annual leave, sick leave and “BRAC” leave? Or is BRAC leave excluded? A. I can think of no reason why BRAC leave would be excluded. However, your agency would be in a better position to know than I am.
Q. I will soon be working 51 years and will be thinking of retirement. I do not want any additional annuity, I just want to collect my excess money with the 3 percent interest. Please tell me how I go about this. A. You won’t have to do a thing. When your retirement application is processed by OPM officials, they will send you a letter telling you how to get a refund of your excess deductions.
Q. I am a federal employee on the CSRS offset retirement system. If I retire with full benefits (age 55 with 30 years), and I become disabled later, will I be able to receive my full federal retirement annuity, and a disability check? A. No.
Q. I recently applied for disability retirement. My package is done at Randolph AFMPC and is at the Defense Finance Accounting Service now. I am an Air Force civilian. I am 53, turning 54 in December. I have 21 years of service, with an SCD of March 18, 1990. I just read on your site that if my disability is disapproved by OPM, that I will then get fired. Can this be true? It seems so unfair. I’m so afraid of getting fired, that I am considering canceling my application and just continuing to work through the pain. It’s a…
Q. I’m a 53 year old FERS employee with 25 years of service this June. I’m considering taking a VERA if one is offered in late March 2011. I know that a supplemental is offered as an incentive if you have the right requirements. I fall short of the age requirement. My question is, if I took the VERA that might be offered, would I still be able to get the supplement when I reach the MRA? If so, would it automatically be put into my pension at the time I reach my MRA or would I have to apply for…
Q. I retired under FERS in 2006. When I came back to work at DoD last July as a rehired annuitant, my sick leave that I had lost when I retired (900+ hours) was reinstated. But as an annuitant, I believe I have zero benefits (e.g., my retirement isn’t affected). So when I leave this July, would I only get paid for any accrued annual leave? Do I just lose my sick leave (again)? A. Because you were hired under a provision that allowed you to keep both your full annuity and the salary of your new position, when you leave…
Q. I was involuntarily retired in October 2010 due to BRAC. I had reached age and time requirements to take a full annuity. I was, however on the Priority Placement List and have received a tentative job offer. My question is what happens to my annuity when I re-enter federal service? A. If you are re-employed, your annuity will stop and you’ll be treated as regular employee, with the right to retire again on a date of your chosing.
Q. Is there a difference between the Offset and the windfall elimination? Which of the two agencies is responsible for deducting which amount from which benefit? I am a CSRS offset employee who retired Sept. 1, 2010. I started getting Social Security benefits in January 2010. The Social Security Administration and OPM have sent correspondence notifying me that there will be some sort of reduction and each claims the right to do the reducing. I am confused as to the nature of Offset vs Windfall elimination and who is supposed to do the deducting. It is my understanding that one…