Q: I resigned my GS position (involuntarily) from an abusive work section situation in Utah and received a lump-sum payment. I have since acquired a new federal job. When I go to the Employee Benefits Information System Web site, it states 180 hours of leave, but the amount says “n/a.” So, I guess it is a one-time payment? A: Yes, it is a one-time payment. When you left government, you exchanged your accumulated hours of annual leave for cash. The site you went to reflects the fact that on the day you left government, you had a balance of 180 hours;…

Q: I am covered by the Civil Service Retirement System with 41 years of service. I was all set to retire this year when they finally phased in the locality pay. There is a clause for those retiring between January 2010 and December 2012 that says we can have the locality pay included in our base pay for annuity purposes. It is my understanding that I would have to work the full three years and then pay the additional CSRS withholding for my high-3 to have locality pay included all three years. What if I want to retire at the…

Q: I am hoping to retire with 20 years as a 6c law enforcement officer. I have approximately 10 additional years of federal service (noncovered). Will the annuity for these noncovered 10 years be computed at a 2 percent rate? Will the rate be the high-3 of those 10 years (noncovered) or the high-3 of the covered service? A: If you have 20 years of covered service as a law enforcement officer, the special, more generous annuity computation will be used to compute that part of your annuity (0.025 x your high-3 x 20 years). Any years of service over 20, whether covered or not, will…

Q: I’m thinking of retiring and wondering if there is anything that precludes an individual from retiring one day and coming back to work as a federal employee the next? A: Not that I’m aware of. However, there are some things you need to keep in mind. If you were to take early retirement, when you returned to work your annuity would be canceled and you would be treated as any regular employee with the same age and service. And you wouldn’t be eligible to retire again until you met the age and service requirements. On the other hand, if…

Q: I recently retired at age 56, air traffic control mandatory retirement, with 36 years in the Civil Service Retirement System. A desirable position for which I am qualified has become available with a local Transportation Security Administration unit. If rehired at TSA, would I be under the Federal Employees Retirement System or CSRS? If I’m under FERS, could I retain full CSRS annuity? If rehired into CSRS, what are some factors to consider: annual leave rate, recomputation of CSRS annuity, etc.? I would like to work until age 62, when my wife can retire and would be very close to maximum…

Q: I have nine years of military service that began Nov. 28, 1980, and ended Dec. 3, 1989. My federal service began Dec. 4, 1989, and I am still employed by the Federal Aviation Administration. I am under the Federal Employees Retirement System. On Nov. 27, I will have 30 years of continuous service if you include the military time. Does that qualify me for the any-age minimum retirement age under FERS with 30 years of government service? A: Because you are covered by FERS, those years of active-duty military service would only be considered to be creditable service for retirement purposes if you have…

Q: I will be retiring soon with more than 42 years of service. I have 8 3/4 months of saved up sick leave using the formula of 174 hours equals one month. I have earlier this year taken a few sick days. Can I convert the days I took to annual leave so as to restore my sick leave and give me nine months of sick leave to help increase my pension?  A: You’ll need to check with you agency to see if they would be able to adjust your leave records and substitute annual leave for the sick leave that you actually…

Q: What is this Special Retirement Supplement check? I have been retired since 2002 from the Veterans Affairs Department and receive my retirement pay from the Civil Service Retirement System. A: There isn’t any check. The Special Retirement Supplement approximates the Social Security benefit earned by employees who were covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System and is included in their annuities. It’s intended to bridge the gap between the age at which they retire and age 62, when they become eligible for a Social Security benefit.

Q: I am a firefighter under the Federal Employees Retirement System holding a secondary position with a service computation date of 2003. I retired from the Air Force after 20 years of military service. I have a number of questions. Would it be prudent for me to buy back my military time, which would allow me to retire early from civil service? If I do buy back my military time and retire, would I lose my military retirement check? Part of my retirement is a 40 percent service-connected disability from the Veterans Affairs Department. The other half is from the…

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