Q. I have been working for the federal government for the past 33 years under CSRS. Prior to that, I worked in the private sector for well over 10 years, as well as seven years in the evening at a community college while a federal employee. I plan to retire in another five years, and as I began exploring my retirement opportunities, I called Social Security to determine my eligibility for a Social Security pension. SS determined that I had more than enough quarters paid in and would be eligible for approximately $700 a month under Social Security. However, the…
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Q. I entered the federal workforce on Dec. 12, 1983. I transferred to the FERS retirement plan on June 1988. My Air Force agency is doing a reduction in force this month. I will have 28½ years time in grade and short of three months of my high-3 grade as a GS-13 (Oct. 10, 2012). Congress is talking about doing away with the supplemental income for everyone (That was one reason I switched from CSRS to FERS). I am short of my 30 years of service, but I turned 50 years old in March. (So I am too young to retire.)…
Q. I worked for the federal government from September 1980 till August 1990 (one week shy of 10 years). I received a full refund of my contribution to CSRS. Can I redeposit the funds into my CSRS account? Is it worth it? A. You could redeposit that money, plus accrued interest, only if you returned to work for the federal government.
Q. My wife retired from the USPS in 2003 under CSRS. Upon my death, will she receive the full Social Security survivor amount, or will that amount potentially reduce her USPS pension? Also will any retirement benefits from my private company plan affect her retirement pension? A. Because she is receiving an annuity from a retirement system where she didn’t pay Social Security taxes, any Social Security survivor benefit to which she is entitled would be affected by the government pension offset provision of law. The GPO would reduce that Social Security survivor benefit by $2 for every $3 she…
Q. After 30 years with Civil Service, I took an early out in April 2005 at the age of 55. I am subject to off-set since I had a break in Civil Service and was then rehired. When I reached age 62, my annuity was reduced by more than $1,000/month. I was under the impression that the (regular) Social Security fund to which I contributed would make up for the reduction. A Social Security customer service rep said Social Security will not make up the difference. I would prefer to not be disabled but cannot fix the issue. I feel…
Q. I’m a postal employee of 29 years and won’t be 54 till December. If an early out comes out this summer, will I be penalized for my age or missing my number of years? My eligibility is December 2013. A. If, as it appears, you are a CSRS employee, your annuity will be reduced by 2 percent for every year you are younger than 55 (0.167 percent per month). If you are a FERS employee, there wouldn’t be any age reduction.
Q. I am a CSRS federal worker who can retire at any time. I need five quarters to be able to collect Social Security. If I retire at the end of this year, will the Social Security taken out of my retirement count toward my quarters? A. If you are a CSRS employee, Social Security deductions aren’t being taken out of your pay, only those for Medicare. Further, Social Security deductions are never taken out of an annuity.
Q. My husband retired from the federal government in 2004 at age 55 with 33 years of service under CSRS. He passed away in 2007 and I started receiving his pension survivor benefits. He did not pay into Social Security long enough to receive those benefits. I am now 62 and applied for Social Security on my earnings since I do have enough quarters. Since I am receiving his federal government pension survivor benefits under CSRS, am I entitled to receive my own Social Security benefits since I had enough credits? My Social Security benefit amount is $277 per month.…
Q. I am a postal worker under CSRS. I am 47 years old with 28 years in the Postal Service. I was told it would be wise not to take the survivor annuity for my wife and instead take out a life insurance policy on myself. In order to keep her covered under health insurance in the event of my death, I was told I must elect some kind of reduced annuity for her. What is the minimum annuity I can elect for her that will keep her health-insured if I die before she does? Is it a good idea…
Q. I recently retired under CSRS with 39+ years of service. I’m applying for a position with the Postal Service as a substitute carrier. The website posting for this position reads: NOTE: THIS IS NOT A CAREER POSITION AND THERE IS NO GUARANTEE OF WORK HOURS. THERE ARE NO BENEFITS OFFERED WITH THIS POSITION. Can I take this position without any effect on my CSRS annuity? If I can, do I need to notify the Office of Personnel Management in any way about the occasional work or earnings? A. Taking that job would have no effect on your CSRS annuity.