Q: I am a retired Air Force veteran of 26 years (1968-1994) and soon will become eligible for a 10 years of service under FERS. I will also become eligible for early Social Security benefits at age 62 at the same time. Both my military and federal civilian careers paid into Social Security. Because I am drawing two federal retirements, will my Social Security benefits be reduced/penalized? A: No, you won’t be penalized. Your Social Security benefit will be based on all your years of Social Security-covered employment.
Browsing: military
Q: Can an active-duty service member roll his retirement into government service and add those years together with existing military service years? This was possible 20 years ago or so, but I was wondering whether it still is an option. I’m a 27-year veteran about to retire, and I’d rather go straight into government service and forego my retirement check from the military, if that is possible. A: Nothing has changed. You can make a deposit to the civilian retirement system for any years of active-duty service and, if you are eligible for military retired pay, waive that pay when…
Q: I medically retired from a dual-status military technician position two years ago. I receive a disability retirement. I have been working part time for a nonprofit civilian company. I have recently been asked to increase my hours to full time. When I out-processed for my disability retirement, I was told that if my salary reached over 80 percent of my salary at the time of discharge (with adjustments over time) I could lose my disability annuity. Does this amount reflect earnings at my job alone, or do I need to bring in less than 80 percent of my former…
Q: I am a civilian pharmacist in a term position with the Army. I plan on taking a permanent position with the Army within the next year. However, I would like to take two months off from the time I leave my current job to the time I start my new job. Will I retain my annual leave and sick leave that I have accrued or will this be forfeited due to the break in service? A: Your sick leave balance would be reinstated when you are once again employed. However, any unused annual leave will be cashed out and…
Q: My job is under BRAC and is scheduled to move by September 2011. Once the move has taken place I would expect the position would not be considered under BRAC. Since I have more than 100 hours of BRAC leave on the books, what will happen with that leave? Will I keep the leave on the books while I’m still in my same unit? Will they pay out the BRAC leave in one lump sum because the unit is no longer considered under BRAC? A: A lump sum payment of restored annual leave is paid out when a BRAC-affected…
Q: I am getting ready to transition out of the army and I am doing some research on different careers. To make up for the time I need to transfer my GI benefits I plan on going into the Guard or reserves. Can I work as a DoD firefighter and be in the National Guard or reserves at the same time? A: Yes, you can.
Q: I was employed for almost 10 years in the VAMC. I was hired in 1981. I am in the CSRS retirement program. I sustained a job-related injury and was on leave without pay status for one year and subsequently terminated. My injury left me out of work for four years for which I was being compensated. I returned to a civilian job part time and eventually surpassed my salary that I was making in the federal position. My cash benefits were terminated, but I have continued to receive medical compensation coverage for my job-related injury. Since my job-related injury…
Q: I have worked for civil service for 29 1/2 years. The command I work for is being affected by BRAC and I turned down my transfer of function to retire. I asked to stay until I fulfill my 30 years of service and it was approved. They now want to move me into a term position so they can recruit against my position. Do you still receive creditable service toward your CSRS under a term appointment? A: Yes.
Q: As a retiree, will I be required to participate in my company’s health insurance plan in my new job as a civilian, in lieu of my Tricare-retired health plan? I am told that the health care reform bill may require employees to purchase company health plans, despite already having Tricare. That said, I anticipate my company’s premiums to be substantially higher than the plan I accepted upon retirement from the military. A: I’m not aware of any situation in which someone who already has health benefits coverage would be required to pay for a health benefits plan offered by…
Q: When talking about “Catch-62,” you have written: “[If a Civil Service Retirement System employee] was eligible for a Social Security benefit either at age 62 or at retirement, if it was after reaching age 62, those years of service would be deducted and his annuity recomputed downward.” What is the situation for CSRS employees after age 62 if they qualify for Social Security with work after retirement? A: There’s no problem at all. For those who are coming upon this subject for the first time, I’d better explain what we’re talking about: Anyone who served in the military after…