Q: I am covered by CSRS and my wife is covered by Social Security retirement. If she dies first, I would collect very little in survivor benefits from Social Security due to the offset rules. However, if I die first, are her Social Security benefits affected by my CSRS survivor benefits? Her projected Social Security pension is about $1,000 per month. My projected CSRS pension is about $6,000 per month. A: If you were to die first, she would be able to receive both a CSRS survivor annuity and her own Social Security benefit, with no reduction in either.
Browsing: CSRS
Q: I understand that my husband’s CSRS Offset annuity will be offset by hi eligibility to Social Security benefits at age 62. However, he plans on continuing to work after this and will most likely not be able to receive Social Security benefits under the annual earnings test. Will his CSRS Offset annuity still be offset if he’s not receiving Social Security benefits due to the annual earnings test provisions? A: When he reaches age 62 and is eligible for a Social Security benefit, his CSRS annuity will be reduced by the amount of Social Security benefit he earned while…
Q: I have 37 years of service under the CSRS and I am thinking about retiring in 2011 when I am 59 years old. I have more than 40 quarters of work completed with Social Security. Can I receive a Social Security benefit when I retire at 59, and how much will it be for a GS-13/10? A: No, you can’t. The earliest age you could receive a Social Security benefit would be 62. When applying for a Social Security benefit, there are two points to keep in mind. First, that benefit will be a reduced one if you are under…
Q: Suppose a Civil Service Retirement System employee has over 30 years of federal service and is over age 55, and thus eligible for retirement and pension under CSRS. If this employee has not yet retired, are there any circumstances where the employee can be denied his retirement and pension? Similarly, are any adverse actions in existence that his office can carry out which have the impact of denying the employee his pension? A: Yes. See 5 U.S. Code, Subchapter II, Forfeiture of Annuities and Retired Pay.
Q: I have worked for the Army as a civilian for a total of 25 years and recently sent for an early retirement estimate. I was covered under the Civil Service Retirement System from 1983 to 1987, then switched over to the Federal Employees Retirement System. I quit in 1994 and took a lump sum retirement refund (thinking I would not work for the government again) but ended up returning to work for the Army in 1997. In 2002, I spoke with a benefits person within the Army, who advised me not to make the retirement redeposit. She said I…
Q: Can a Civil Service Retirement System rehired annuitant be hired for an Active Guard/Reserve (AGR) position? I am eligible for CSRS retirement next month and my military unit has an opening that is AGR, Title 32 active-duty military. Can I draw CSRS retirement and work full-time in Title 32 status? A: Accepting an active-duty position in the armed forces should have no effect on your CSRS annuity. Whether your CSRS annuity would have any effect on your military pay is something you’ll have to explore with your branch of service. My guess is that it wouldn’t; however, Title 32…
Q: I am a federal firefighter (GS-081 series) covered by the Civil Service Retirement System. I work for the National Park Service. My department is being abolished this year, with a local city department taking responsibility of fire supression. RIF notices are coming out next month. I am under CSRS retirement. I have 27.5 years in, I am 48.5 years old. I can retire at age 50. The Park Service has said that they can’t place me anywhere else because they have no GS-081 positions anywhere. They want to give me an early retirement. Will I face any penalties for…
Q: I have 15 years and 11 months military time, which I have bought back. I also have 3.5 years with the VA. Our human resources office says that I must have at least five years of civilian service in order to retire. The only reference to any kind of five-year rule I can find on the Office of Personnel Managment Web site only applies to those transferring from the Civil Service Retirement System to the Federal Employees Retirement System. I know there is a 5-percent penalty per year for every year under 62. I have several medical issues and…
Q: I was employed by the Department of the Army in 1968 and retired with a disability annuity in 1974. I have never been restored to full capacity and I still receive my annuity of approximately $1,060 per month. I have worked in a part-time capacity at various jobs over the years and have earned 20 Social Security points. In December 2010, I will turn 62, and I understand that my annuity will be recalculated. I do not know my three highest years of earnings and do not fully understand how the annuity will be recalculated. I have looked at…
Q: How is sick leave to be apportioned when a employee retires with a Civil Service Retirement System component to a Federal Employees Retirement System pension? When I transferred to FERS, I had 275 hours of sick leave frozen. I expect to retire before December 2012 with 700 hours of sick leave, and I understand that half, or 350 hours, would be credited toward my retirement. However, there doesn’t seem to be any clear information on how that 350 hours would be allocated. Can you help? A: Your frozen CSRS sick leave balance will be added to your actual service…