Q. What does a retiree need to do to have federal and state taxes deducted from his or her retirement annuity? A. Call OPM at 888-768-6738.
Q. I am a CSRS employee. I will have 3165.59 hours of sick leave when I retire. What is the actual time I will be credited for? I have received conflicting answers on whether 2,080 or 2,087 hours amount to one year of credited time and also whether the .59 hours round up or get dropped from the calculations. A. There shouldn’t be any conflict on the number of hours that equal a year. By law it is 2,087. On the other hand, I’m not aware of any rule covering the crediting of an amount of time that is less…
Q. I’m planning on retiring at the end of June. With 3,100 hours of sick leave, I’ll have 38 years of CSRS service. I’ve selected June 30 as my last day for the following reasons: 1) My annuity will begin the very next day, 2) Even though June 30 is a Thursday, I will have completed my 80 hours of work to earn my final leave accrual, and 3) since retiree COLAs are based on whole months, I will get the retiree COLA for month of July (assuming there is one). Is there anything wrong with my reasoning? A. With…
Q. I noticed on one of your blog postings that you stated the minimum annuity you can leave a spouse is $1. I’ve been told by my personnel office that the minimum is $3,600. Which is correct? A. What I stated is correct. Your personnel office was misreading what OPM has written on the subject. The reduction in an employee’s annuity is “2.5 percent of the amount up to $3,600 elected as the base for the survivor annuity [emphasis added].” The reduction is 10 percent for any amount elected over $3,600. Go to www.opm.gov/retire/pubs/handbook/C050.pdf and scroll down to Section 50A3-1-3D
Q. I’m in federal law enforcement (covered), and the Army National Guard. For retirement purposes I need 20 years covered, and 50 years of age to retire? Last year I was involuntarily deployed for 12 months in Afghanistan, and was automatically placed on leave without pay status. I am curious: Do I lose a year of covered law enforcement time because military time is done under the rules governing credit for military service? I’ve heard there was a bill passed that stated that for every year spent deployed over seas, a year is taken off for retirement purposes, or does…
Q. I am receiving a FERS disability annuity at 60 percent of my base pay (first year). I thought I was told prior to retirement that the salary limit of 80 percent did not apply the first year I draw the annuity. I cannot find any notes I might have taken or documentation from my previous human resources office supporting this idea. I accepted a civilian position where I made more than 80 percent of my fed tech position within the first calendar year of receiving the annuity. I received an earned income questionnaire from OPM and if submitted with…
Q. I am a CSRS employee who plans to retire on my 55th birthday on May 3, 2012 with 32 years of service. This is the middle of a pay period. Do I list May 3 as my “date of final separation” on the appropriate form and do I have to report to work (or be on leave status) on that day, or is that the first day that my retirement begins? In other words, am I a retiree or an employee on May 3? A. You will be 55 on the day before your birthday. On May 3, you…
Q. My mother retired from the Postal Service in 1990 with 28 years of service. In addition, she has worked (and continues to do so) in the private sector for 31 years. The exemptions for the offset provisions list 30 years of paying into Social Security. How would she determine if she is eligible for the exemption and which department should she contact? A. The Social Security Administration has an electronic fact sheet that should answer your questions. Go to www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10045.html.
Q. I am under CSRS and have 28 years in the federal government. I have developed neck, back and disk problems from a car accident I was in three years ago. I also suffer from severe asthma, allergies, and anxiety. I need to be in regular therapy for my back. I’ll be 52 in November 2011, and do not have the age yet for retirement. Is it allowable to use leave without pay in combination with annual and sick leave for continued therapy until I reach 55 and have 30 plus years and can retire? The LWOP will not exceed…
Q. Is an employee who is eligible for retirement and is ready to, forced to retire immediately or may he/she have the option to simply quit federal employment and apply for their retirement annuity at a later time? A. Yes, you can either apply for an immediate annuity now or quit and apply for one at a later date.