Q: I am a federal employee who will soon be going in for open-heart surgery. I am 58 years old and will be 59 in March. I have until I’m 60 to reach 20 years of service for early retirement. I am also a retired E-6. What would happen if the doctor after the operation says I can no longer work? Would I be given 100 percent disability of my base pay? A: As an employee under the Federal Employees Retirement System, if you were approved by the Office of Personnel Management for disability retirement, during the first 12 months…
Q: I intend to retire Dec. 31 from the Department of Health and Human Services. I have had a family health insurance plan (Blue Cross/Blue Shield) for 20-plus years. My wife is a federal government employee. We want to transfer coverage from my agency to her agency (Labor Department) during the open season. First, how do we make sure that the transfer of payment for coverage and the policy will assure that the five-year required continuous coverage is maintained? Second, if we are able to transfer and maintain continuous coverage, will my wife’s plan be my primary insurance after retirement,…
Q: I’m a Federal Employees Retirement System employee who is about to take three-plus years’ leave without pay from my job to serve with an overseas international organization. What are the rules regarding unused annual leave? I plan to return to this job upon completion of the overseas posting. Can I cash in my days now? Will they be returned if I don’t use them, or may I use them after commencing my overseas post, in effect starting the other job while on “LWOP-leave”? A: You cannot cash in your unused annual leave when you go on LWOP, nor may…
Q: I was employed in January 2006 on a term position. Having been prior civil service, my service computation date was 1989. In August 2007, I was involuntarily laid off and received compensation for 148 hours of accrued annual leave in the amount of $3,877.60. I recently was charged by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service as being overpaid and was told my SCD was the reason, and that I received too much money when I left the job. I was told I was not entitled to receive eight hours per pay period, therefore I owe the government money. I…
Q: The secretary of Defense authorized agencies to rehire annuitants with full pay and full annuities on March 18, 2004. If I retire under disability (through the Federal Employees Retirement System) and am rehired under this authority, am I still subject to the Office of Personnel Management’s 80 percent rule, whereby I would lose my disability annuity if I earn more than 80 percent of my former salary? A: Disability annuitants cannot be hired under this authority.
Q: I retired from the Army in 2007 and receive both military retirement pay and Veterans Affairs Department disability pay. I immediately went to work for the federal government under the Federal Employees Retirement System. When I retire from government employment, will I be paid all of the following: military retirement pay, VA disability pay, FERS retirement pay and Social Security benefits? A: Yes, you would be able to receive all four benefits. Just remember that your FERS retirement annuity would be based solely on your years of civilian service unless you chose to make a deposit for your years…
Q: I am a retired federal employee, almost 65 years old, and I have to decide whether to sign up for Medicare Part B. Whether I sign up or not, I will continue with the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan (currently Government Employees Health Association, which has a maximum annual $5,000 out-of-pocket expense). The Part B decision seems to be one of costs versus benefits. I would pay about $1,400 per year for Part B and would save/eliminate most of my out-of-pocket expenses. I rarely spend more than about $1,000 a year in out-of-pocket expenses. It’s almost impossible to…
Q: I served two dependent-restricted tours in South Korea (1988-1989 and 2001-2002). I retired from the Army in 2006. I now work for the Army as a civilian. Does the time I spent in Korea count toward leave accrual? For example, I accrue four hours of annual and sick leave per pay period. Would that time allow me to accrue six hours per pay period, and would I get that credit from the time I began my federal civilian service in March 2009? A: No, it wouldn’t. For retired members of the military, leave accrual credit is only given for…
Q: I was injured on the job in September and was denied workers’ compensation. I have submitted additional information from my physician and am now considering early retirement. Can I retire early while waiting for a decision on the compensation claim? A: Yes, you can.
Q: If a 56-year-old Federal Employees Retirement System employee with 22 years of creditable service is involuntarily separated under a discontinued service retirement and takes the immediate annuity, does the annuity reduction of 2 percent per year for every year under age 62 apply? Does the employee also immediately qualify for the FERS annuity supplement? A: If you take a discontinued service retirement, you won’t be penalized 5 percent (not 2 percent) for every year you are under age 62. Further, because you have reached your minimum retirement age, you will be eligible to receive the special retirement supplement.