Q. I just attended an agency-sponsored retirement class at my office. It was told, by the private contractor, to all the firefighters and law enforcement personnel attending that overtime is calculated as part of your base pay along with locality pay when considering your high-3. Is this true? Can we include the overtime and if so can you please cite where I can find it? A. No, it isn’t true. Overtime, as such, is not considered to be a part of basic pay when calculating an employee’s high-3. However, firefighters do get credit for a certain portion of their standby…
Q. I am a retired civil service annuitant currently working as a rehired annuitant with the Homeland Security Department. I was re-employed as a rehired annuitant under the pension offset waiver, thus earning my full pension and salary. I was told when I complete my rehired annuitant employment, I can apply for a recalculation of my civil service annuity, based on a higher “highest 3 year average” I am now earning as a rehired annuitant. Please advise if this is true, and how I can apply for a recalculation of my annuity. A. As a rule, annuitants who are re-employed…
Q. Will my FERS supplement be taxable income? A. Yes
Q. I have a friend who is 65 years old and has 15 years of service. He wants to retire and has requested to take his 300 hours of annual leave in the way of terminal leave. The organization is saying he must return on the last day of terminal leave to check out. We currently work in Europe and he would like to travel back to the U.S. and start his retirement without the requirement of returning. Is there a regulation I can read to get clarification on this? A. First, there is no such thing as terminal leave…
Q. I currently am a Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) civilian stationed overseas; prior to moving under DIA I was an Army civilian, also serving in an overseas location. For FERS annuity calculation purposes it is my understanding that DIA civilians receive 1.7 years of annuity credit for each year served in an overseas duty location. If that’s correct, when I retire, presumably from DIA, will I receive the 1.7 year credit for just the time served with DIA or will I get the 1.7 DIA credit for all years served overseas both as an Army and DIA civilian? A. I’m…
Q. I am a DoD firefighter for the Department of the Army for three years now. Before my current employment I was an Air Force military firefighter for eight years. I am in the process of buying back my military time and I entered the federal system at the age of 30. What age can I retire? I have been told that the eight years can be added to the “front end” of my retirement, which would mean I could retire at the age of 47 (25 years any age). Now the other scenario is age 50 and 20 years…
Q. I am doing a mortgage loan for a retired post office worker. My underwriter wants proof of continuance for three years. Where might I find that information? A. You are entitled to an annuity as provided under 5 United States Code Chapter 83. Your annuity will continue until you die, as provided in 5 USC 8345(c), which says, “The annuity of a retired employee…terminates on the day death or other terminating event provided by this subchapter occurs.”
Q. Does the FEHB offer an age extension for the coverage of disabled children? Do the rates increase when the child reaches age 22 and older? A. An unmarried dependent child may continue to receive coverage under your FEHB plan as along as the child’s incapacity began before age 22. For more information, go to www.opm.gov/insure/health/reference/handbook/fehb28.asp and click on Child Incapable of Self Support.
Q. I recently reached the mandatory retirement age of 57 while being employed as a criminal investigator (Special Agent) with the U.S. Dept. of Justice – Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). I was separated from the federal government due to my age of 57 on April 30, 2009. My gross pay used to be over $150,000 per year. My gross retirement pay, after over 25 years of service, is now $73,000 per year. I would like to apply for other federal jobs that I see advertised but am under the impression that I cannot because I am…
Q. I am planning on retiring this year. I am currently covered by my wife’s FEHB, as she is also a federal employee. She has several more years to work before she will be retirement-eligible. If she were to elect to resign prior to her retirement eligibility, could I elect to begin FEHB coverage as a retiree since she would no longer be eligible to carry FEHB due to her resignation? We have been married for 14 years, and we have been covered by FEHB the entire period of our marriage. I carried the FEHB up until the open season…