Q. I have two questions about the Reg Jones article in the Feb. 18 Federal Times issue, titled “2013 brings changes to Medicare, survivor benefits” (Page 22). 1) Under death benefits, it says, “under CSRS, if you die while still employed, your widow will be entitled to a survivor annuity.” When I retired in 1995, I signed an agreement to take a reduction in my annuity so that when I die, my wife will get a percent of my annuity. Please explain what is wrong with one of these two statements. 2) Under the same topic, he says, “the spouse…
Browsing: FERS
Q. I receive FERS benefits but am now applying for Social Security, which will be my main retirement. I got to a question on the application process that asks whether I ever earned money where FICA was not taken out. I worked for two and parts of two other year for Gallaudet College, which was at the time a quasi-government and Civil Service. Those earnings do not appear on my Social Security statement of benefits I assume for that reason. I took the retirement in a lump sum when I left that position. I was federally employed (FERS and Social…
Q. I am a FERS employee with 22 years of service. I will have 30 years of service in eight more years and will also be 50. Can I retire with 30 years of service and collect (i.e., request an early retirement package)? I’ve read the deferred retirement, but my understanding is I would not be able to receive a pension until my MRA, 57.
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?
Q. I am a retired officer with 27 years of active military service and am receiving military retirement pay. I am also getting VA disability pay. I also have been working for the federal government for five years. If I retire, can I collect all three payments: military, VA disability and FERS?
Q. I served four years in the military on active duty and seven years in the reserves. I was hired as an Army civilian temp in 1991 and was kept until 1993, then laid off. Then I was called back in 2004 as permanent employee under FERS. I paid back the deposit for four years of military time, and they processed a new SCD Merge and Purge of OPF complete. Now my SF50 action gives a service computation date of 1998 (leave). The EBIS preliminary retirement report says my SCD is 2000. The left hand isn’t speaking to the right…
Q. I am a former federal employee (canine enforcement officer) who was injured on the job in 1999. I was placed on COP and then on the periodic rolls of the Department of Labor. After a year of physical rehab, my doctor released me to light duty, for which the US Customs Service had no jobs available to me. I was terminated in 2000. I am still being paid by the DOL. I was recently sent by DOL to a doctor to evaluate my condition, and the doctor determined that my status is permanent at the sedentary level. I am…
Q. I am a retired soldier with 21 years of service being paid my retirement. I am also a GS FERS employee with 13 years of service. I am 56 and would like to retire in about two years. I have asked for my calculation to see if I should buy back my service time. I assume that if I buy back my time, my military retirement stops immediately. I used your calculator to check my FERS retirement and believe I got the right number for just the 13 years. If I retire under the MRA+10 provision, will I basically…
Q. I am a retired reservist receiving retirement reservist pay. I am also a FERS employee getting ready to retire. I’ve already paid the FERS deposit for two years of active military service. I also have DD-214s for four months of basic training and nine months of active service for attending the transportation officer in residence school. I need to know 1) can I pay a deposit for these two periods? 2) most importantly, will this reduce my reserve retirement? 3) must I sign a military retirement pay letter, even though I assuredly do not wish to waive my reserve…
Q. I left civil service with just shy of 21 years of combined time (bought back 14 years of military) in November 2011 at age 44 (1967). I did not withdraw any money from FERS, but I moved my TSP to an annuity. My intent was to just apply for a deferred retirement at age 62 to avoid penalties. However, if I returned to Civil Service before 62, how many years would I have to work to be eligible for full health benefits under FERS? I also assume that if I returned by age 47 and worked until 56, I…