Q. I recently spoke with an individual from the Office of Personnel Management’s retirement services regarding offset of FERS pension for Veterans Affairs disability. The individual told me that my VA disability would not be offset from my FERS pension if I was combining my military time with my civil service time. However, the individual also told me that if I buy back my military time and then waive my military retired pay all of my military benefits, medical, ID card, commissary, etc., would also be stopped. Has the law changed? A. I’m not aware that anything has changed. However,…
Browsing: disability
Q. I’m being retired on medical disability, and I have more than 190 hours of annual leave. Who pays me for this and approximately when? A. Your agency is responsible for generating a lump-sum payment for any unused annual leave. Usually such payments are made at the same time as your final paycheck is issued. Check with your agency to find out what its payment schedule is.
Q. I am a federal employee under FERS. I have 13 years of service with a minimum of 10 years to become eligible for regular retirement. Due to an injury, I was on leave without pay for several months, then returned to work overseas. After I was on the job eight months, my condition manifested in physical symptoms, at which point my physician recommended that I take leave. My employer approved sick and annual leave but said I was ineligible for LWOP because I was overseas. I am still on my own leave, but it will soon be exhausted, and…
Q. My son David is a federal employee under FERS who recently suffered severe mental health problems. 1. If David resigns his federal position, will he be eligible to apply for a medical disability retirement after the date of submitting his resignation? 2. Is there any waiver(s) for the requirement of applying for Social Security Insurance prior to submitting an application for a medical retirement? A. 1. Yes, he can file for disability retirement after he resigns. However, it would be better if he began the application process before that, because his agency has a role to fulfill which would…
Q. I was told by Customs and Border Protection that I could still get a medical retirement even though I have more than 30 years of service. When I go to the Employee Benefits Information System, it says I can’t apply for medical retirement because I have more than 30 years. A. Years of service have nothing to do with it. If an employee has at least 18 months of creditable service, there are only two situations in which he’d be unable to receive a disability annuity: First, whether he is covered by CSRS or FERS, if he is eligible for…
Q. I saw this exchange on your site: “Q. I am 60 and was hospitalized in March. I used all my sick and vacation leave because of a medical condition that will last more than a year, used all my [Family Medical Leave Act time] and have applied for disability retirement. I got a call from the nurse executive that if they don’t receive a letter from me within five days that I am resigning, they will have to terminate my federal service, since they say I am AWOL. This same executive in May completed the supervisor portion of my…
Q. I am 59 years old and covered under Federal Employees Health Benefits as the spouse of a CSRS annuitant. Due to a covered disability, I have been receiving Social Security Disability Benefits for the past 18 months and was just advised that I will be eligible for Medicare Parts A and B in June. If I decline Part B and decide to take it later, will I be subject to the Medicare Premium penalty? A. Yes.
Q. I am a FERS employee with serious medical issues. If I apply for a disability retirement, I will be required to submit an application for immediate retirement. According to the instructions on this application, most annuities begin the first day of the month after separation. How does this work if my request needs to be approved by Social Security? If it were denied by Social Security, then what would happen to my annuity? A. Because you are a FERS employee, if you apply for disability retirement, you must also apply for a Social Security disability benefit. Your receipt of…
Q. Is it possible I will be receiving less than my current monthly amount under FERS when my retirement is converted to regular at 62? I would have 31 years of service as a GS-5 step 7 at 62, and I retired disabled in 1998. A. To find out how your annuity will be computed when you reach age 62, go to www.opm.gov/retire/pubs/handbook/C061.pdf and scroll to Section 61B2.1-3D.
Q. If an employee has a disability (schizophrenia), can the employee request two years of leave without pay to get away from a hostile work environment due to co-workers? A. An employee may make such a request. Whether it would be granted would be up to the agency. Depending on the employee’s ability to provide useful and efficient service, the agency might recommend that the employee file for disability retirement instead.