Q: I was a U.S. Postal Service employee from Feb. 1975 until Feb 1983. I will turn 65 in May. I am not eligible for government retirement, since those eight years were my only government employment. Nor am I eligible for Social Security benefits. Is there some way that the postal service can credit my employment with them for Social Security benefits? A: No, there isn’t any way that can be done. On another subject, if you left your retirement contributions in the fund when you left the Postal Service, you would be eligble for a deferred annuity. If you…
Q: I work for the Treasury Department and have 28 years of federal service. I plan to retire in December because I will have reached age 57. I am seeking federal employment (non 1811series) and am unclear as to how my retirement/salary would be affected if I took another federal job before retirement, and what would happen if that other job was again with treasury. A: Generally, federal employees, civilian and military, are prohibited from receiving pay from more than one Federal Government source. The laws on dual employment apply to agencies in the executive, legislative and judicial branches, corporations…
Q: I served four years 1987 to 1991 in the military, but haven’t made a deposit to get credit for my active-duty service. I work for TSA and have been here for more than 8 years. I worked for the U.S. Postal Service for more than four years from June 1994 to December 1998, and I was removed, only withdrawing my TSP. Will I be able to use my postal service time toward my retirement when I get of age. If so, how, because my SCD for leave is showing 1998 and my SCD for retirement is showing 1994. A:…
Q: I work for the DHS/ICE. I will retire in September of 2015 at 60 with about 22 years of service. I am covered under FERS. I hear two answers about what happens to unused sick time. One answer is that I will receive a lump sum for the unused sick time, the other is that it will be credited toward my time in service. Which is true? A: Sick leave has no cash value. It may only be added to your actual service after you meet the age and service requirements to retire.
Q: I am 57 and a FERS employee with slightly more than 11 years federal civilian service. I am told that under certain conditions of discontinued service/VSIP, VERA, etc., it is possible for early retirement under MRA +10 without penalties for an immediate annuity. Is that correct? A: The age penalty of 5 percent per year applies to all retirements under the MRA+10 provision. However, you can reduce the penalty by postponing the receipt of your annuity to a later date. Because you have fewer than 20 years of service, you’d have to wait until age 62 to eliminate it.…
Q: I retired from the U.S. Postal Service under CSRS with 32 years of service. I gave my ex-wife a full survivor annuity and she also is covered under the FEHB plan. I remarried and my current wife has been covered under my FEHB/APWU (Family 472) for the past seven years. If I should die, would my current wife be able to continue with this FEHB plan? A: No. To continue coverage, she would have to be receiving a survivor annuity.
Q: Can i retire from government service while on workers’ compensation, or do i have to be in a work status to do so? A: Assuming that you are eligible to retire, you can do that either when your workers’ compensation is terminated or when you elect to receive an annuity in lieu of workers’ compensation. Be aware that the time between the day on which you went on workers’ compensation and the date you retire won’t be included in your annuity computation. Instead, your annuity will be computed based on your service and high-3 on the date you went…
Q: With the possibility that the U.S. Postal Service may eventually be faced with a reduction in force, I would like information concerning Veteran Preference Status. I have been a postal employee for 32 years. Although I served in the Air Force for seven years, I received no veteran’s preference points upon hiring, as my service was not within the years prescribed for this preference. However, since that time, my military spouse has been rated as 100 percent disabled and was retired from active duty on a disability pension. I understand that I can receive the 10-point veteran preference status…
Q: I have worked at the U.S. Postal Service for 31 years and I am covered under CSRS. I am married, and I am thinking about retiring in June. My wife and I divorced in 2000, and at that time she waved any rights to my retirement. In 2001, we got remarried to each other. When I retire, can I take out a survivor annuity for her or will her waving her rights to my retirement in 2000 have any bearing on that? A: Yes, you can. In fact, by law you are required to provide her with a full…
Q: Can you tell me if the following Social Security calculation is correct? We have visited our local Social Security office, who said, “That’s the way it is. You can appeal if you like.” We are U.S. citizens, born in the United Kingdom. Prior to coming to the U.S., my wife worked for 15 years for private companies in the United Kingdom. She has just retired at 62, and receives a United Kingdom pension equivalent to $250 per month. She has worked in the U.S. for 15 years, and would normally qualify for a monthly benefit of $547. But We…