Q. I have 29 years of federal service and am 50 and under FERS. If I am involuntarily separated by a reduction in force at age 50, do I get the FERS Social Security bridge along with my Discontinued Service Retirement, or do I have to wait until I turn 56 to collect the bridge portion of my retirement? Does this start automatically with the DSR, or do I have to apply for the bridge with SSA when I am 56?
Browsing: Discontinued Service Retirement
Q. I’m 49, with 26 years in the NAF retirement program. I won’t be accepting a transfer of function outside my commuting area, so I’ll be involuntary separated. Based on everything I’ve read in AR215-3 3-25, I should be eligible for both discontinued service retirement and severance pay. Severance pay would be authorized in my case since my immediate annuity will be reduced 12 percent based on my age (2 percent for every year I’m away from 55). I’m now hearing that the following paragraph would prevent me from receiving severance pay: AR215-3 3-25 h. “Exclusions from severance pay. Severance…
Q. I was injured in a severe motor vehicle accident and unable (because of doctor’s orders) to return to work. The agency sent me a letter stating that I should return to work and violate the restrictions, apply for FERS disability, or be terminated. I chose to apply for FERS disability and was denied, and now the agency is in the process of terminating me. I am still under doctor’s restrictions. I am over age 50 and have 21 years of combined service: 16.5 military, which I bought back, and seven civil service if they count my leave without pay…
Q. I am a FERS employee, age 59, and have over 28 years in the Postal Service. Our facility is going through an accelerated transfer of function to a facility more than 100 miles away. If they cannot offer me a position in my same craft and I am given a notice to separate voluntarily or involuntarily, can I retire and receive an unreduced annuity and the special retirement supplement until age 62? If I retire, should I elect a discontinued service retirement or optional retirement since this is an organizational change involving reduction in force, transfer of function. Could…
Q. I will be RIF’ed on July 29 with 24 years and seven months of service. Do I qualify for a discontinued service retirement? How much will my annuity be reduced? I am 43 years of age. I am covered in a law enforcement officer position. Additionally, I have six months of sick leave. Can I use this time to meet the 25-year DSR time period for any age? A. You aren’t eligible for a discontinued service retirement. To be eligible for a DSR, you’d have to be age 50 with 20 years of service or any age with 25.…
Q. I’m 60 with 24½ years of service. I was gone on detail and my position was filled with a permanent employee. So we are now both in the same position on the org charts. They are having me do the work no one wants to do, like a directives project that was due in 2009. I have been waiting for a buyout, but can they offer me a discontinued service out and are there any benefits? A. No, they can’t. The only way you’d be eligible for a discontinued service retirement is if your agency officially proposed to separate…
Q. I am a postmaster, age 51, with 26 years of service under FERS. I have been offered the VERA. The USPS has stated that in two years, if we haven’t been able to land another job in the executive and administrative schedule (EAS), we would be given a reduction-in-force notice and separated from service. Would I be eligible for an immediate annuity at that time under a Discontinued Service Retirement (DSR)? I realize I can’t touch TSP or receive the Social Security special retirement supplement because I will be only 53, but I would need to be able to…
Q. I am 52 with 28 years’ service in the Postal Service. I have been offered a VERA. If I don’t take the VERA, I can stay for two more years before I am part of a reduction in force. I have been told I will be eligible for discontinued service retirement after I receive my RIF notice. If events required me to defer retirement, would I be able to pick up health insurance when I am 56? Would I even be able to start the annuity at 56 or have to wait till I am 62? A. Whether you…
Q. I am just turning 55. I have 11 years of federal civil service and am being released for loss of driver’s license due to an off-duty DUI arrest. My position description was written several years ago and does not include a driver’s license requirement, but I do drive at work regularly. I will be able to drive my own vehicle, but not a work vehicle, under my state’s driving laws. 1. Under this scenario, do I have rights for a discontinued service retirement? 2. If not, am I eligible for a deferred retirement, and what is the earliest age…
Q. I am an Air Reserve technician with 32 years civil service. I will turn 55 on July 10. I resigned from my civil service position effective the pay period ending July 14. I have, however, vacated the position effective June 22 and used various leave statuses to get me through July 14. Per FERS rules, I was planning to submit my request for federal civil service retirement 60 days prior to my 56th birthday in July 2013. In addition, I submitted my military retirement for Dec. 31, 2012 (I was required to submit a date six months in advance…