Q: Where might I find my correct service computation date. After attending a seminar for Federal Employees Retirement System employees yesterday, I understand that the service computation date and leave date in box No. 12 may be incorrect. I went to work for a Veterans Affairs medical center in 1979, left for a few years, came back, worked one year at the post office. How can I ensure that all my years are being counted correctly? I know that my service computation date is incorrect. A: You’ll have to sit down with a specialist in your personnel office and go…
Q: I was married to a military person for 10 years while he was on active duty. I will be eligible for Civil Service Retirement System retirement and understand the Social Security offset concept. I believe I will be eligible for Social Security benefits based on my ex-husband’s Social Security benefits (I never remarried). Will it be worth it to apply for Social Security benefits despite the offset due to my CSRS annuity? Also, I withdrew three years of deposit in 1980 and was told by a co-worker that it wouldn’t be worth it to pay this back as the…
Q: Can you tell me which retirement plan should I have been in? I was temporarily employed by the federal government in 1983 but became a permanent employee in 1984. Shouldn’t I be under the Civil Service Retirement System? And not the Federal Employees Retirement System? A: No, I can’t tell you. What I can tell you is this: If you had five years of creditable service under CSRS before Jan. 1, 1987, you would have been entitled to be covered by CSRS with the option of electing to be covered by FERS. Since the Office of Personnel Management has…
Q: I am starting a general service job soon, but am getting some conflicting messages about how much leave I will accrue. I am a member of the U.S. Army Retired Reserve – with about 14 years of active duty time. I will not receive military retired pay for another 12 years. Will my active duty time be creditable for leave in the civilian system? A: Yes, your active duty time will be considered to be creditable service for determining your annual leave accrual rate. It won’t be used in determining your years of service for retirement purposes or in…
Q: Will you please explain when the “earnings test” on the Social Security Supplement takes effect for Federal Employees Retirement System employees? What will be the effective date when the supplement is reduced and/or halted if you’ve exceeded the earnings limit? How are your after-retirement earnings reported, how often and to whom? Will the supplement be reinstated if your after-retirement earned income returns to below the earnings limit? A: For a good overview of how the Social Security earnings limit applies, including how things are handled if you retire in the middle of a year, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10069.html. The Social…
Q: I am on medical retirement from the National Guard. Do I have to retire from my federal job? A: A: If you are a military reserve technician who is required to maintain a specific military grade in order to continue in your civilian employment, the answer is yes.
Q: I am 54 years old and just recently returned to the federal government. I have been placed in CSRS Offset and my time is running out to determine if I want to go to the Federal Employees Retirement System. I previously worked for the federal government for 10 years between 1982 and 1992, under the Civil Service Retirement System and have 22 years of substantial earnings in the private sector. Which retirement system would be the best choice based on my background? Also, do CSRS Offset employees earn Social Security substantial earning credits on their years, while employed with…
Q: Does service as a Peace Corps volunteer count toward the one year probationary period for federal service? A: No, an individual’s initial career appointment becomes final only after he has successfully completed a one-year probationary period. This period begins on the effective date of the appointment and ends one calendar year later.
Q: I am currently a 52-year-old Department of Defense Education Activity employee with 23 years in the Army National Guard (six years active). Can I buy my six years of active duty time if I will be receiving a reserve pension when I am age 60? A: Yes, you can.
Q: I worked for the Defense Department (Long Beach Naval Shipyard) from 1980 until 1990. I had a retirement fund which I paid into. When I left the shipyard in 1990, I took out my retirement fund in a lump sum. Am I eligible for any benefits from the government besides the retirement fund I paid into. I am now 63 years old. Can you explain to me how that works. Since I started working in 1980, I believe I must have been under the Civil Service Retirement System, I worked as a GS-4 for three years, then I transferred…