Q: Will I receive back pay if I wait to apply for my FERS retirement at 62? I postponed my retirement due to the penalty associated with starting before age 62. I have 15 years of service and am 61. I want to possibly wait to start my annuity because I do not want to be considered a re-employed annuitant when I apply for a job. I am currently on a temp appointment not covered by FERS and the next job will probably be a temp as well. I cannot get the job as a re-employed annuitant because the hiring…
Q: I am a FERS air traffic controller with 22 years of service. I planned on retiring in three years with 25 years of service. I am also in the Army national guard and was just told I will be deployed for 12 months next year. How will this effect my high three for retirement? I will be on leave without pay for most of my deployment. A: It won’t. While on military leave, your civilian pay for retirement purposes will remain the same as it would have been if you hadn’t been on military leave. However, when you get…
Q: I will be retiring in August 2010 under CSRS. I am 55 years old. I will be keeping my FEHB coverage. Currently, my wife is covered under my FEHB plan and she is 49 years old. When I reach the age of 65, I realize that I will be covered by Medicare as my primary health provider, while my FEHB plan will be my secondary health plan. My question is, Will my wife continue to be under FEHB plan as her primary provider? Which health plan will cover my wife? A: Since she won’t be old enough to qualify…
Q: If one is drawing a FERS annuity and receiving the special retirement supplement, how do any earnings in excess of the earnings limit get paid back to the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund? Does one write a check at the end of the year? A: When your earnings in one year exceed the earnings limit, your special retirement supplement will be reduced in the following year. The reduction cannot be more that the total amount of SRS you received during the year when the excess earnings occurred.
Q: I am a retired regular army officer. If I accept a GS position with Homeland Security will I forfeit some of my retirement? A: Only if you choose to do so. By that I mean, you have the opportunity to make a deposit to the civilian retirement system and get credit for that period of active duty service in determining your years of civilian service and in your annuity computation. At retirement, you would be required to waive your entitlement to military retired pay. If you chose not to make a deposit and waive your military retired pay, your…
Q: I am a substantial contributor to Social Security through the military reserves, and I worked six years as a teacher. I also have 26 years of CSRS service and five years of CSRS OFFSET for a total of 31 years of service. My high three is $107,800. I am 61 years old and could retire now. I understand how the security portion of the offset will be calculated but I do not understand how the substantial contribution portion will be handled through the military and as a teacher. A: Substantial earnings under Social Security are substantial earnings, no matter…
Q: I was involuntarily retired from the Air Force because of an injury received while at work. It was a gradual process. I was injured (torn ACL in my left leg) in 1998. I was then returned to work. The ACL repair wasn’t successful, so I underwent a second surgery in 2001. I started rehabilitation but did not complete it. I was then moved into a supply position. I underwent a third surgery in 2003. I started rehabilitation and I completed it according to the rehabilitation specialist’s instruction. However, he (DOL) insisted that I pay for everything and assured me…
Q: I am aware that there is some support to propose legislation this year to pay federal employees for unused sick leave by depositing the money into one’s TSP. Is there any further support for this and has anything been proposed in this arena? I believe Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., had said that he would introduce legislation to pay federal employees for unused sick and annual pay at retirement by having it deposited to your TSP. Do you have any current information in reference to this matter? A: I have found no evidence that Lynch did anything more than talk…
Q: I will be covered by the Civil Service Retirement System. I have been offered a position for which locality pay is in effect. Will this locality pay be incorporated in my annuity? A: Locality pay is considered to be a part of basic pay and will be used in the calculation of your annuity.
Q: I received a medical retirement from active duty in the Army after serving 15 years. I am working as a YA-02 (GS-11 equivalent) and I was wondering if I could buy back my military time. I am no longer receiving retirement pay because my VA compensation is more than my retirement pay. I have been a civil servant (FERS) for almost 2 years and my probationary period is just about over. Would it be beneficial for me to buy back my military time? A: To get credit for you period of active duty service, you would need to make…