Q. I am a federal employee with 32+ years of civil service, planning on retiring in the next five years. I have been enrolled in a Federal Employees Health Benefits plan throughout my career. My husband retired from active duty Aug. 31 with 23+ years. We had dual coverage under Tricare and FEHB since August 1995, with FEHB being primary and Tricare as secondary. Now that my husband has retired, to continue to be covered under Tricare, he had to sign up for a specific Tricare plan, for which we are now charged a monthly premium. We are trying to determine…
Browsing: five-year
Q. I am a Veterans Affairs Department term employee with 28 years of service, 57 years old. My term appointment has only been extended to Jan. 31, 2013, with a “continuation of ongoing research funds.” If research funds are not available to pay me past this date, I understand that I can retire under the MRA +10 provision and postpone receipt of my annuity until I am 60 to avoid the age reduction penalty. And, at that time, can re-enroll for Federal Employees Health Benefits since I will have been enrolled for the previous five years. If I choose not…
Q. I will have 10 years of federal service as of Jan. 27, 2013. I am 59 years old. I may have a job opportunity to return to a private-sector job. If I changed jobs and deferred my annuity until age 62, would I still qualify for government insurance? A. Since you would be retiring under MRA+10, you’d be able to re-enroll in the Federal Employees Health Benefits and Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance programs but only if you were enrolled in them for the five consecutive years before you retired.
Q. I turn 48 this month. I’m seeking federal employment. Can I still earn a retirement pension from the federal government at age 68? I’m looking into becoming a program analyst, contract specialist or something within business operations. I will not look into positions involving law enforcement, firefighting or air traffic control, where I hear those folks are limited to a maximum age. A. If you are hired by the federal government, your age won’t be a factor. You’ll be able to retire as soon as you have five years of service. And each year you work beyond that will…
Q. I’m a 67-year-old distribution/sales and service clerk. I will have 13 years of service by November. Does this mean I can’t take the retirement incentive? And exactly what do they mean when they say “resign”? Would I be losing any benefits if I resign instead of retire? A. Resigning would make no sense. Any 62-year-old employee with at least five years of service can retire on an immediate annuity. Therefore, if you were to accept a buyout, you could retire at the same time. If you had been enrolled in the Federal Employees Health Benefits plan and Federal Employees…
Q. I am a government employee, but my husband is working in the private sector. To date, we have been using my husband’s health insurance because it provides excellent coverage. However, my husband’s company does not provide health coverage after retirement. To that end, I plan to enroll in a Federal Employees Health Benefits program in December since my retirement date is five years away. (My husband is retiring in five years, as well.) Does my husband need to be covered on my program for five years, too? Or can I add him in the last year prior to my…
Q. In 1985-87, I worked for the railroad and I was paying into FERS. I left without being vested in the system. Now I have completed five years in FERS. Am I able to buy the railroad retirement time of two years and apply it to my FERS? I called the railroad retirement system and they said the federal money I contributed was sent to Social Security. A. Unfortunately, no.
Q. I am a Defense Department civilian employee under FERS. My date of birth is March 15, 1954. My EOD was Oct. 1, 2007, which gives me five years of service. I have accrued 111.75 hours of annual leave, 80 hours of sick leave and 8.5 credit hours as of the pay period ending Oct. 6. I do not meet eligibility requirements for an early retirement under FERS, so If I resign within the next few weeks, what is the process I need to go through, and what can I expect as far as payout? Will I lose any of…
Q. I am a federal employee approaching 30 years of service (in November). I am age 48. While recently researching my retirement plan, I was informed by the personnel office that a mistake was made close to 30 years ago and that I should not have been put in CSRS. My entire career and all of my records and data from the government have indicated CSRS for 30 years. I have made life and career decisions based on CSRS. I was given the choice back in the early 1980s to go FERS or CSRS, and of course, I chose CSRS.…
Q. I am a FERS employee with 27 years of service at 56 years old. Because my spouse is ill, I will have to retire early (sometime this year) to take care of him. Do I get penalized the 5 percent? Do I get to keep health and life insurance? And do I receive the Social Security supplement? A. Because you would be retiring under the MRA+10 provision, your annuity would be reduced by 5 percent for every year you were under age 62 and you wouldn’t be eligible for the special retirement supplement. On the other hand, you would be…