Q: I have now passed the 42-year mark and still pay deductions to CSRS. If I request a refund or additional annuity when I retire, does the government contribution (which seems to be continuing according to my earning statement) become part of the equation? A: No. The refund of excess contributions will consist solely of the deductions that were taken from your pay.
Q: I understand that it could take six to eight months to process an application for retirement disability. With this in mind, if I took leave for that long and my application was disapproved, could (USPS) discipline me for attendance, even if I was on FMLA for the first 12 weeks of the process? A: If you apply for disability retirement, your supervisor and personnel office will be involved throughout the process. That’s because your agency has to verify that you are incapable of useful and efficient service in your own job or any other at the same grade or…
Q: I am a CSRS federal government employee. I am single and have no children. I retired when I was 64 in January 2005 with 24 years and nine months of service. I signed a paper stating that I would not come back into the federal government for five years. What happens if I am able to get a job in the federal government in 2011 when I am 69? When I am ready to retire again, will I still be under the CSRS or will I be under FERS? Will they add the 24 years and nine months of…
Q: I retired under DSR and would like to come back to work for the government as a part-time permanent employee. Can I receive my monthly annuity and not have my salary offset? Do I have the option not to elect FERS? A: If you take a job with the federal government, your annuity will stop and you’ll be treated as if you were a regular employee. You’ll be employed under your old retirement system with the option of electing FERS. You won’t be able to retire again until you meet the age and service requirement to do so. At…
The open season for health benefits, dental and vision insurance, and flexible spending accounts will run from Nov. 8 through Dec. 13. Not only will it give employees and retirees who are already enrolled the opportunity to change their health care coverage, but it will also give eligible employees who aren’t enrolled the opportunity to elect coverage. In this column, I’ll focus on the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. Premiums will rise an average of 7.2 percent for employees’ share. That isn’t good news, but at least it’s better than the expected 8.9 percent to 10.5 percent for large-employer health programs in…
Q: Is there a Federal Employees Health Benefit provider that provides care in case something happens while traveling overseas? What happens to my insurance if I leave federal service for a year and do something else? Can I still pay and keep my health benefits? A: Every FEHB plan has a section in its brochure that explains what it will cover if you live or travel outside the U.S. and Puerto Rico. As to your other question, if you were to leave government, you would receive a 31-day extension of coverage at no cost to yourself. During that time, you…
Q: I retired at age 55 with 34-plus years of service. I quit after 13 years of civil service and returned to civil service after 3 1/2 years of private employment. I just turned 61. I paid Social Security for over 20 years. If I elect to request Social Security benefits at age 62, how will this affect my civil service pension? A: Because you are now covered by CSRS Offset, at age 62 your annuity will be offset by the amount of Social Security benefits you earned while covered by CSRS Offset. The net effect will be that you’ll…
Q: I was an Air Force reservist on orders for six months beginning in 2006. I injured myself while on active duty, and the six-month orders turned into two years before it was all said and done. I was put on the Permanently Disability Retired List (PDRL) with a 30-percent disability (non-combat related). I served 29 years in the Air Force Reserve, with a total of four years, eight months of active duty. I was hired in October 2008 as a federal employee. I am in the process of buying back those those four years and eight months of military…
Q: I know that I can draw my Federal Employees Retirement System annuity and my Social Security benefits. My question is, will my Social Security benefits be reduced if my annuity is more than the yearly limit of $1,480? A: The Social Security earnings limit only applies to earnings from wages or self-employment, not what you receive in your annuity. In 2010 and 2011, the earnings limit is $14,160.
Q: I recently had my retirement pay calculated. I was a part-timer during my first three years of employment — approximately 25 hours per week. I subsequently have had 13 years of full-time federal employment. It appears that I will incur a 10 percent penalty in my retirement pay because of those part-time years. Do you know if that will always be true no matter how long I stay as a federal employee? A: The longer you work, the smaller the reduction in your annuity will be.