Q. I retired under CSRS on April 30. What are the rules on my re-entering the federal workforce part time? I would like to keep earning my full retirement. A. Unless you were hired into one of those rare positions that allowed you to receive your annuity and the full salary of your new position, your salary would be offset by the amount of your annuity. If that was the case, being hired as a part-time worker could reduce your salary to a handful of small change.
Browsing: CSRS
Q. I have 17 years of prior service in the United States Postal Service under CSRS, and I’m employed by the state of New York. I would like to know if there is a way to combine my federal and state times. A. There isn’t. FYI: If you didn’t take a refund of your retirement contributions when you left the Postal Service, you could apply for a deferred CSRS annuity at age 62.
Q. I just received a FERS retirement benefit statement. One of the comments made on the statement is: “A FERS annuity shows a loss in purchasing power because it is not fully protected against inflation after retirement (unless you retired from a special category such as law enforcement or firefighter).” As a law enforcement officer under the special retirement provisions, what is the cost of living allowance? I will be 57 at the time of retirement. I did find something that indicates I will get the cost-of-living adjustment starting right away while regular FERS retirees must wait until they are…
Q. I’m a traditional CSRS employee with 34 years and no break in federal service. I also have paid into Social Security with 15 years of substantial earnings. I plan to continue to work until age 70 in CSRS. My Social Security full retirement age is 66. When I apply for Social Security benefits, can I work full time and collect Social Security? And will the windfall elimination provision decrease my Social Security benefits while I am employed? A. Yes to the first question and yes to the second if you have fewer than 30 years of substantial earnings under…
Q. I plan to retire at the end of the year under CSRS with 30 years of service. I received my last cost-of-living increase Jan. 3, 2010, which would be part of my high-3. Do I have to stay until Jan. 3, or can I retire Dec. 29 and still receive full credit for the cost-of-living increase toward my high-3? If I have to stay until Jan. 3, will I still get paid in my last check for my 439 hours of annual leave? A. The 2012 leave year ends Jan. 12. If you want to be on the annuity…
Q. I am a retired CSRS employee and elected the full survivor benefit for my spouse. Should I die before her, will the 55 percent she receives be based on my annuity with the deduction for the benefit, or will it be 55 percent of what I would be receiving if I had not elected the full survivor benefit? A. It will be 55 percent of the annuity you would have received before it was reduced for a survivor annuity, increased by every cost-of-living adjustment that has been made to CSRS annuities since you retired.
Q. You answered a question and said locality pay is in calculations for a FERS retirement. Is it also included for annuity calculation for a CSRS retirement? Also, I’ve seen confusing explanations about whether Social Security is reduced if a person receives a federal pension. I paid Social Security taxes during 11.5 years’ active military service and almost 15 years of National Guard and Army Reserve service. Will I be eligible for full Social Security benefits, or will there be reductions because I will get a CSRS retirement annuity? A. Locality pay is included when computing the annuities of both…
Q. I was hired in May 1983 as a full-time GS-5 career conditional employee. I have always been a full-time employee with the federal government. I am a GS-12 and have not left civil service during my career. My SF-50 has always indicated that I am classified under CSRS. I understand that I was hired about six months before the government stopped registering new employees in CSRS. Would any circumstances cause my retirement system to be coded incorrectly? Is there any reason I should not be enrolled in CSRS? Recently, another employee hired in December 1983 was found to be…
Q. I am a federal employee approaching 30 years of service (in November). I am age 48. While recently researching my retirement plan, I was informed by the personnel office that a mistake was made close to 30 years ago and that I should not have been put in CSRS. My entire career and all of my records and data from the government have indicated CSRS for 30 years. I have made life and career decisions based on CSRS. I was given the choice back in the early 1980s to go FERS or CSRS, and of course, I chose CSRS.…
Q. I retired under CSRS in 1995 at age 48. My pension was reduced by 14 percent because I retired seven years before my minimum retirement age of 55. I found that I had to get a job to supplement my income. I have finally met the 40-quarter requirement for Social Security but cannot determine what my benefit would be. The Social Security Administration says I will be getting around $500 a month, but a friend of mine says the amount will be cut in half because I already get a federal pension. If that is true, then I cannot…