Q. I have returned to federal service and want to redeposit my FERS contributions that were returned to me. Neither the Office of Personnel Management nor the Air Force Personnel Center can tell me whether the nine years of military time I bought back while I was previously a federal worker was returned along with the FERS contributions. Now that I have returned to federal service, the nine years of military service is not showing as credible time so I was hoping one of the experts here could shed some light on this for me. Would the bought-back military time be returned…
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Q. I am a FERS GS0081 employee. Next year, I will have 31 years of service at 52 years of age. I was planning to work until I reached my mandatory retirement age of 57. But I have been told the federal government will only contribute to retirement for a maximum of 31 years. Is this correct? A. Whoever told you that is misinformed. As long as you continue working, both you and the government will continue to contribute to the retirement fund. And those years will be included in your annuity computation. Because you are a special category employee,…
Q. I worked for the Ammunition Procurement and Supply Agency in Joliet, Ill., from 1966 to 1973. They closed and moved and I did not move with them. Would I qualify for a federal pension now that I am 64? I remember receiving a severance pay at the time. A. If you left your contributions in the retirement fund when you left, you’d be eligible for a deferred annuity at age 62. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be eligible for anything.
Q. I worked for the federal government from January 1981 to November 1990. I pulled my money from CSRS retirement and worked in the private sector until September 2010. Upon returning to federal service in September 2010, I paid Social Security and put money into my 401(k), which I have rolled into my Thrift Savings Plan. I am in CSRS Offset, I declined the FERS option and stayed with CSRS. I am trying to find out whether to pay back the CSRS money I pulled in 1990? I also recently got married, so how will my benefits be paid once I…
Q. I’m a fed with 25 years of service. I’m 53 years old. Unfortunately, I’m having a lot of health issues. While I may be able to qualify for retirement disability, I prefer to try and hang on as long as I can in my job. Fortunately, I have a sympathetic employer that has allowed me to be off of work. I’ve lost all of my 2,000 hours of leave. If I take leave without pay or use the Family Leave Act, is there a minimum number of hours I must work to earn a year of service? If there…
Q. I am trying to take advantage of the redeposit and can’t seem to find information to get this done. The current form 3108A does not address this particular subject. Human Resources was not familiar with it. It is on the Postal Service blue page, but that is as much information that I can get. I left USPS for eight months, and I took my Thrift Savings Plan and roll into an IRA. I want to find out how to get this redeposit, to receive credit for my annuity computation, and also my eligibility to retire. I am currently employed with…
Q. I qualify for a buyout with 25-plus years of service. If I take the buyout, it is my understanding that I must wait until my normal minimum retirement age of 56 to begin receiving the Social Security supplement. Would this prevent me from receiving increases in Social Security supplemental benefits that I would have received had I waited until 56 to retire? I believe I would get the increases at 62, in any event, when I could first draw reduced SS benefits. Also, what happens to my Thrift Savings Plan account? May I purchase an immediate annuity and/or take a…
Q. I am writing in regards to my husband’s Postal Service pension. He passed away 10 years ago at the age of 75. I’m now 84 and questioning whether I could be entitled to his pension for the time he served? A. You wouldn’t be entitled to a survivor benefit; however, if he didn’t take a refund of his retirement contributions, you would be entitled to receive those. To find out, write to the Office of Personnel Management, Retirement Services and Management Group, P.O. Box 655, Boyers, PA 16017-0045. Be sure to provide them with you deceased spouse’s full name,…
Q. I am 50 years old with 30 years of service. I plan on resigning from my federal government job. In three to five years, I will try to be rehired at age 54 or 55. What will happen to my sick leave balance? Also, as I understand it, I will be able to retire normally at my minimum retirement age (56) if rehired. There appears to be no minimum amount of time I need to be re-employed with the federal government to retire as long as I meet MRA and the 30-year requirement. My health insurance will be good also…
Q. I am 57 and worked for the Postal Service from 1981 to 1997. I took a refund of my contributions when I left. Am I eligible for health benefits? If I took a position now with the USPS, could I get reinstated? A. No, you aren’t eligible for health benefits. If you went back to work for the government, you could enroll in the Federal Employees Health Benefits program (or re-enroll if you were enrolled in the FEHB program during your previous period of employment).