Q: I am a 39-year-old federal employee. I have nine years of Federal Employees Retirement System-covered federal service. I also bought back eight years of Army service time two years ago. I am thinking of resigning my position and starting a small business. Would it benefit me to wait three years and reach 20 years of creditable service? And if so, what benefits will I be eligible for at my minimum retirement age? A: You wouldn’t be eligible for any benefits when you reached your minimum retirement age. With fewer than 20 years of service, you’d be eligible for a…
Q: Is the Federal Employees Retirement System supplement (Social Security) sent to retirees as a separate payment, or is it combined with the annuity? A: The special retirement supplement is included in a retiree’s monthly annuity payment.
Q: My “high-3” years are not my last three years. I am thinking of retiring in June, and I have read that your last three consecutive years are your high-3 years. My highest three years, salary-wise, were 2003 to 2005. Will they use those years or my last three? A: An employee’s high-3 is always the highest three consecutive years of average salary, no matter when they occur in a career.
Q: I have been opting out of health care coverage because I am covered by my wife’s plan, but I plan to retire under the Federal Employees Retirement System in 2016 and want to take advantage of the post-retirement health care benefits. I will enroll during the upcoming open season, but I would like to know whether I need to enroll in self and family coverage in order to have coverage for my family after I retire, or if I can enroll in self coverage now and add family members after I retire. A: You can switch from self-only coverage to…
Q: I am 65 years old and will be 66 in January. I am contemplating retirement from the federal government. I worked in the private sector for more than 20 years and switched over to the government in 1985. I am under the Civil Service Retirement system. I was informed by a co-worker that my Social Security benefits, which I am counting on heavily to support my family, will be reduced substantially because I am under CSRS. Is this true? A: Your Social Security benefit would only be affected if you have fewer than 30 years of Social Security-covered employment.…
Q: I retired from the Navy Department and am now looking to apply as a rehired annuitant. where can I submit my resume? A: Start be asking the folks in your former activity’s personnel office. If they don’t have the answer, they can ask someone higher up. Concurrently, you can search for job openings posted at www.usajobs.gov.
Q: Who do I contact to buy back my time spent working with the Tennessee Valley Authority for retirement credit? I need an address and phone number. A: To get credit for your period of service with TVA, you’ll need to ask them for a refund of your retirement contributions and then deposit that refund into your current retirement system. Your local personnel office can help you do that.
Q: I’m under the Civil Service Retirement System and have a period of about one year of nondeduction service immediately prior to Oct. 1, 1982. I also have about a year of nondeduction service starting Oct. 1, 1982. Which would it make more sense to make a deposit for, the year prior to Oct. 1, 1982, or the year commencing on that date? A: For nondeduction service performed before Oct. 1, 1982, you have the option of making a deposit and having your annuity reduced by 10 percent of the amount that would have been deducted from your salary plus…
Q: I retired at age 57 as a Civil Service Retirement System Offset employee. I’ve enjoyed a private industry position but have learned that at age 62, my CSRS annuity will be reduced. I can retire through the Social Security Administration to recoup the reduced amount, but will be subject to an earnings limit which wipes out the entire SSA pension. Am I missing something? Are offset retirees subject to the SSA earnings limits? A: Yes, they are. The earnings test will reduce your Social Security benefit by $1 for every $2 you earn above the limit, which is $14,160…
Q: From Oct. 28, 2009, to Dec. 31, 2013, half of of sick leave may be credited toward retirement time. Is that correct? If so, does a Federal Employees Retirement System employee who retires in that window receive payment for the other half of the unused sick leave, or is it just lost? Do FERS retirees receive full payment for unused vacation time? A: Any FERS employee retiring between now and Dec. 31, 2013, will only receive credit for half of his unused sick leave. The rest is lost. After that date, full credit will be given. All employees, whether…