Q: I am an 80 percent disabled veteran right now. I have applied for a Federal Employees Retirement System disability retirement, and they I was told it would take three to six months. Is that about the right time? I thought it would go through rather quickly. I went to apply for Social Security, but until I am not working, they can’t process my claim. Same thing with Veterans Affairs. I gave them an individual unemployment form, then they said I had to wait until I am not working. Is that right? I applied for Social Security under the Wounded…
Browsing: disability
Q: I am a Vietnam veteran with a disability rated at 40 percent. I will be 64 in September and plan on drawing my Social Security retirement benefits at that time. Will either one of these government plans be affected by the other? Also, do I receive any extra credit in my Social Security earnings for the 16 quarters served on active duty from 1966 to 1969? A: You will be able to receive both your Veterans Affairs Department disability pay and your Social Security benefit. Your Social Security benefit will be based on the number of credits you earned…
Q: I was retired medically from the Army with less than 20 years of service. My health improved enough for me to work at the U.S. Postal Service. I was then called back to active duty to complete my 20 years of service, serving an additional three years and eight months. I returned to the USPS in 2005. I retired from the Army with a military pension and Veterans Affairs Department disability of 50 percent. Can I still receive my military pension and VA disability and buy back only those years I returned to active duty to get credit for…
Q: I’m on FERS disability retirement. I am 58 and would like to know, if I work for my local county government, will my annuity be affected if I stay under the 80 percent earnings cap? A: As long as you remain disabled and don’t exceed the 80-percent limit, your disability annuity will continue.
Q: I have been approved for Social Security disability and have applied for FERS disability with only 20 months of service. I was just awarded SSD as of April and have not been approved as of yet for FERS. I am aware of the offset from SSD, but my question is, if I received $1,485 from SSD and my FERS is $1,277 gross the first year, then doesn’t this mean I am not going to receive anything monthly from FERS because of the offset? Why did I even bother, and now since I became disabled in October 2009 and permanently…
Q: I learned in 2008 that my disability retirement annuity is wrong because my Preliminary and Final SF 2806 forms were prepared by a state-funded agency rather than my former employer. I was an Army Department employee. I have provided extensive evidence to OPM, however, they have refused to correct my annuity or explain why a state-funded agency prepared my separation documents, why they don’t match the personnel action forms prepared by my former employer, and why my last day in pay status was provided to OPM by the state-funded agency two months after I was separated. I have been…
Q: I am a 66-year-old U.S. Postal Service employee who was born in 1944. I had planned to retire with 15 years of service this month; I thought that I would have recovered from on-the-job injuries by this time. I had already signed up for Social Security to begin on my 66th birthday (this month), but now my doctor says he needs to do more surgery on both arms before he will release me at maximum medical improvement. Also, I keep hearing that a voluntary early retirement is on the way and want to wait a little while to see.…
Q: I am 56 with 28 years of service. I owe a deposit for two years of that service when I was under FICA (1979-80) and CSRS (1981-83). When I left, I withdrew my CSRS retirement funds. Will I have to make that deposit to get credit for that two years of service if I retire under a FERS Involuntary Discontinued Service Retirement? I am considering this option because I am newly disabled and can’t work a full day, but I’m not sure if I would qualify for FERS/SS Disability. A: As a FERS employee, the only way you can…
Q: I am currently in the California Army National Guard and am 99 percent sure I will be medically discharged after being in for over 32 years. I only have 15 years as a dual-status military technician. I am hearing that soldiers who have returned from Iraq or Afghanistan with “combat-related injuries” are being told that they cannot keep their jobs as it is intended by the change in the law governing the requirement to be a member of the National Guard. Can you point me in the direction of someone that can help? Reference: Title 10 USC 10216 (g),…
Q: I’m a U.S. Postal Service employee. For more than two years, I’ve been on periodic roll with the Labor Department. My physician’s report was disputed, and the Labor Department sent me to its physician. Eventually there was a referee physician picked by the Labor Department. The referee physician determined that I was unable to work until I had knee joint replacement. I’ve had five knee surgeries, four of them job-related, and at this time will not have the surgery. My question is, is it possible to be put on permanent periodic roll by the Labor Department, or do I…