Q: I am a retired FERS law enforcement officer collecting the FERS supplement. I am also an independent contractor for the State Department conducting security background investigations. Am I bound by the annual limit you can make from earned wages? The 2010 limit is $14,160. I made almost $19,800. I thought that when I retired FERS law enforcement supplemental pay had no limit. Please advise, and what happens now? A: You were mistaken. The Social Security earnings limit applies to everyone who is receiving a Social Security benefit and hasn’t reached full retirement age (65-67, depending on the year of…
Browsing: SOCIAL SECURITY
Q: I plan to retire this year with almost 40 years in CSRS. No Social Security is expected. My wife has been approved for Social Security disability. Will this affect my retirement or her disability? A: No, it won’t.
Q: I recently discovered that I would probably lose part of my anticipated Social Security benefits to the WEP because I lived and worked in Canada, as a Canadian citizen, before moving to the U.S. and later becoming a U.S. citizen. If I retire at my full retirement age, I will have 25 years of substantial earnings/contributions to U.S. Social Security, and will also receive payments from the Canada Pension Plan. The latter will total just more than $500 per month. Will my wife’s Social Security benefits, based on my earnings because she did not work the requisite number of…
Q: I’m a CSRS Offset employee with 18 years, 6½ months under straight CSRS, with 12 years, seven months at retirement April 30, 2012, and with at least 40 quarters earned under Social Security before federal service. Had an appointment the other day at the Social Security Administration to see what my benefits, Offset amount and Windfall amounts would be. The person who I talked to had no idea about the CSRS Offset, kept calling the WEP an offset, insisted that she never had to consider/calculate the offset amount for OPM, that OPM would do the calculations and she just…
Q: My husband injured his back in 2007. We have been struggling with his claim. We finally got a letter stating he was approved. The letter says we have to choose the Office of Workers’ Compensation Program or the Office of Personnel Management program. He is FERS and is 59 years old. He is getting retirement until his disability was approved and also is getting Social Security disability. They want us to sign the form indicating which one we choose, but when we call the office, they say they cannot help answer any questions until we sign the form. How…
Q: My husband is a retired federal worker and is not eligible for any Social Security benefits since he worked for the federal government his entire career. He opted for a reduced pension because of survivors benefits. I, however, have worked under Social Security. I am weighing my options regarding retirement in the near future. We would be fine if I decided to retire now, but my concern is for the long term. If my husband should predecease me and I receive his federal pension (which would be less then what he receives now) would my Social Security be reduced?…
Q: I am 57 with 28 years of civilian service under FERS. I have been paying Social Security. If I retire under VERA, what is the formula used to figure out the supplemental Social Security or special annuity supplements and how would they be received? A: You can get a rough estimate of what your special retirement supplement would be by suing the following formula: Your most recent Social Security estimate x your total years of FERS service rounded up to the next higher year ÷ 40.
Q: I am a civil service employee with 17 years of service, 10 during CSRS years and seven during CSRS Offset years. I have 30 years of other Social Security wages. My High-3 years are in the Offset years. I draw full Social Security while working. I began this at 66. I am trying to make a retirement decision but I cannot get a clear understanding of how the offset impacts me. I have gotten retirement projections but they do not include any adjustment for Social Security. It appears too good to be true that I will not experience a…
Q: I am a retired postal employee under CSRS who has a monthly premium taken from my annuity for Blue Cross Blue Shield for myself and my spouse. I retired in 2002 with 35 years of service and have been receiving my annuity for just over nine years. My wife just turned 61 in March and does not work. I also just hit 40 quarters and am now eligible for Social Security, although reduced by the windfall elimination provision. I will be 65 in October and am aware that I must apply for Medicare 3 a month before. Since Medicare…
Q: I am a federal retiree receiving an annuity of $1,344 per month. My husband receives Social Security of $1,810 per month. How much Social Security would I receive upon his death based on these figures? I am aware of the government offset provision. I figured I would receive about $905 per month. $1,344 – 2/3rds = about $877. Subtracting $877 from $1,810 leaves about $905. Am I on the right track? Whenever I called Social Security (when you can get someone on the phone) I keep getting conflicting answers. A: You are on the right track. Because you are…