Q: I am currently a retired CSRS offset employee who is on Social Security disability. My question is when you turn 62, does your disability payment change to regular social security or does it change at 66? I have been told conflicting information. A: As long as you continue to be disabled, you’ll continue to receive a Social Security disability benefit. However, because you were covered by a retirement system where you didn’t pay Social Security taxes — CSRS — when you reach age 62, the windfall elimination provision will reduce the amount of your Social Security disability benefit if…
Browsing: CSRS offset
Q: I am more than 55 years old, quit federal service more than 17 years ago, after 16 years under CSRS and never withdrew from my CSRS contributions. Question: If I return to work, I will be under FERS. Can I transfer CSRS money withheld into FERS and get credit in FERS “retirement benefit” calculations for the 16 years I worked under CSRS? What options are available? How many more years must I work to retire under FERS? If I work part-time, will it take longer? A: If you returned to work for the government you would be placed in CSRS…
Q: If a CSRS Offset employee with 19 years, five months of service had seven months of unused sick leave, could that sick leave count toward attaining the 20 years of service the employee would need to retire early/now? Or does the employee need to have a minimum 20 years comp. service without any sick or vacation leave? Are there different rules for sick leave credit than the FERS? A: You must have enough years of actual service to be eligible to retire. Sick leave may only be added after you have met the age and service requirements.
Q: Based on a medical condition, I am a disabled employee trying a new treatment but if it is not successful, my doctor recommends disability retirement (SSA and CSRS offset). If I do leave in a couple of months, I am planning on using my accrued annual and sick leave from approximately July 29 to approximately September 30. Note: My 36 months of continuous service is from 9/14/2008 (a Sunday) to 9/14/2011 (a Wednesday). I am a reinstated employee who separated in 1987. I understand that there are terminal leave provisions for the last pay period prior to retirement. Do you know if this…
Q: I am CSRS Offset, 52 with more than 27 years of service. Because my agency has yet to offer a VERA, I am considering resigning and “freezing” my retirement until age 55. Is this legal, and if so, how would it impact my annuity? A: While you could “freeze” the amount of your annuity by resigning, you wouldn’t be eligible for a deferred annuity until age 62. At that time, your annuity would be calculated using your years and full months of service and high-3 on the day you left. Any unused sick leave you had when you left…
Q: I have eight years prior federal service (1980-1988). Upon resignation, I received a lump-sum payout for my CSRS account. Subsequently, I worked for 20 years in the private sector until I was laid off in 2009. Reinstatement eligible, I was hired in November as a “Term” employee, classified as “CSRS Offset.” However, I was informed recently that the classification was incorrect, and is being changed to “FICA with option for FERS.” Is this correct? A: It sounds like you were hired into what is called a temporary time-limited position. If that’s the case, then you would contribute to Social…
Q: I recently returned to federal service after an absence since 2002. Previously, I was in the CSRS retirement system from 1983 to 2002. Recently, they reinstated me under CSRS but now they have switched me into CSRS offset. I am not convinced. Is this correct? A: Yes. Because you had break in service of a year or more, by law you had to be placed in CSRS Offset.
Q: I’m a CSRS Offset employee with 18 years, 6½ months under straight CSRS, with 12 years, seven months at retirement April 30, 2012, and with at least 40 quarters earned under Social Security before federal service. Had an appointment the other day at the Social Security Administration to see what my benefits, Offset amount and Windfall amounts would be. The person who I talked to had no idea about the CSRS Offset, kept calling the WEP an offset, insisted that she never had to consider/calculate the offset amount for OPM, that OPM would do the calculations and she just…
Q: I am a civil service employee with 17 years of service, 10 during CSRS years and seven during CSRS Offset years. I have 30 years of other Social Security wages. My High-3 years are in the Offset years. I draw full Social Security while working. I began this at 66. I am trying to make a retirement decision but I cannot get a clear understanding of how the offset impacts me. I have gotten retirement projections but they do not include any adjustment for Social Security. It appears too good to be true that I will not experience a…
Q: I was a civil service employee with DHUD from 1969 to 1978. I withdrew retirement funds at that time and have contributed to Social Security since then. I am 64 and am considering going back to work for a government agency with civil service retirement. Can I buy back into civil service retirement and, if so, how long would I have to work and contribute to CSRS to be eligible to retire with civil service retirement? A: If you returned to work for the government, you would be placed in CSRS Offset (CSRS and Social Security) with the option…