Q: I am retiring soon under the Federal Employees Retirement System and my spouse is already retired under the Civil Service Retirement System. Should I die before her, will she be able to collect unreduced Social Security survivor’s benefits? A: No, she won’t. Her survivor benefit will be subject to the government pension offset provision of the law, which will reduce that benefit by $2 for every $3 she receives in her CSRS annuity.
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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 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: 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 considering retiring, but need to know whether there is a specific form I must complete in order to continue my Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurance after retirement? I have had BCBS for over 5 years. A: No special form is required. Your coverage will continue seamlessly without your doing anything other than your checking the box confirming your eligibility on the Application for Immediate retirement: Standard Form 2801 (Civil Service Retirement System) or 3107 (Federal Employees Retirement System).
Q: In your Jan. 25 article “New year, same COLA,” you say that the Social Security withholding stays at $106,800, and that “if you are a Federal Employees Retirement System or Civil Service Retirement System Offset employee, any amount you earn above that amount won’t be subject to the 6.2 percent Social Security deduction.” However, I am a GS-810-14, Step 10, Forest Service employee under CSRS Offset and the National Finance Center withholds Social Security from my paycheck for the entire year. Withholding from my paycheck doesn’t cease at the $106,800 limit. This seems contradictory to what the article states.…
Q: I am a 65-year-old active CSRS federal employee. My wife is 63 and receives Social Security benefits. Am I eligible for a Social Security spousal benefit while I am still employed and not receiving a CSRS annuity? A: Yes, you are. However, when you retire, you will be subject to the government pension offset provision of law, which will reduce that spousal benefit by $2 for every $3 you receive in your CSRS annuity. In most cases, the GPO eliminates the Social Security spousal benefit.
For employees, 2010 is a mixed year for benefits. For retirees, it’s pretty much a bust. General Schedule employees received a 2 percent pay increase, with 1.5 percent going to all employees and the remainder being distributed through locality pay. If you want to compare how you made out against employees in other areas, go to the Salaries and Wages page on the Office of Personnel Management Web site. The maximum taxable earnings for Social Security withholding stay at the 2009 level — $106,800. So, if you are a Federal Employees Retirement System or Civil Service Retirement System Offset employee,…
Q: I am a federal employee under the Civil Service Retirement System with 35 years of service, and I am 60 years old. I plan on working another two to five years. If I die before I retire, will my wife automatically receive a full CSRS survivorship annuity? I plan on selecting a full survivorship annuity when I do retire but was wondering what happens if I don’t make it. A: Yes, if you were to die before retiring, your widow would automatically receive a full survivor annuity. The only exception to this rule is if there is a court…
Q: I will be 63 years old at the end of this year. I anticipate retiring under the Civil Service Retirement System on Dec. 31, 2010, with a Service Computation Date of March 1977. If I have 800 hours of unused sick leave by then, at what point this year can I start terminal leave from work and have these 800 hours calculated into my annuity payments? A: Unused sick leave is credited on the day you retire and used in the calculation of an annuity. Note: I’m unaware of any provision in law that would provide terminal leave for…