Q. On March 26, I will be 62 years old. I work for the Postal Service and am thinking about retiring ,My question is this: My wife is 67 and drawing her Social Security. If I retire from the Postal Service, will I be allowed to take spouse benefits? Also, how much will the Social Security be cut because I am drawing CSRS? My monthly gross amount from CSRS will be about $2,781 but that’s before health insurance and spouse benefits. I am also able to draw Social Security but I have only the 40 quarters. My wife is drawing…
Browsing: windfall elimination provision
Q. As a CSRS offset annuitant I worked for the government from 1968-1985, at which time the agency was abolished and I withdrew my retirement in a lump sum. I worked in the private sector for five years and returned to the government in 1990. In 2001 there was a reduction in force and I now receive discontinued service retirement. Overall, I have 22 years of Social Security, 12 of those under CSRS offset. My first question: Will I be subject to the windfall elimination provision at age 62? Second, will I have the option of leaving my private-sector years of earned Social Security with…
Q. My husband has 36 quarters toward his Social Security eligibility; however he has 33 years in the Postal Service and qualifies for a postal pension under CSRS. Is he eligible to receive a reduced Social Security benefit if he retires at the end of this year, in addition to his postal pension or does he need 40 quarters? A. To be eligible for a Social Security benefit, he would need to have 40 credits and be 62 years old. Note: If he became eligible for a Social Security benefit, it would be subject to the windfall elimination provision. The…
Q. I have been told that Social Security looks at your federal retirement at age 62 only and only once. Is this true and does it look at it on your birthday to determine if you are eligible for benefits. At 62, I will fall short of being eligible by six quarters. If it only looks at my file on my birthday, I would wait a few months and go back to work. A. Let’s begin at the beginning for those who may not know what you’re asking about. Any employee who is covered by a retirement system where…
Q. I retired from CSRS in 1999. Since then (2000-2011) I have had 12 years of “substantive earnings” under Social Security. I was also a commissioned officer in the Air Force Reserve and served from 1976 to 2006. During those 23 years that I was a civil servant and a reservist I earned military pay when I went on active duty. In the years I was not mobilized or deployed I only served on active duty for two weeks plus 12 weekends. I received Social Security credit for all of my active-duty service as a reservist. However, for many of…
Q. Several weeks ago, I sent a request for information regarding the offset, if any, when I retire from civil service. I served in the Army National Guard from June 1956 through February 1959. I was drafted into the Army on March 4, 1959, until Feb. 28, 1961. I then enlisted in the Army in March 1961 and retired April 30, 1979. I entered into employment by the federal government Sept. 12, 1980. My wife and I both draw Social Security benefits. I will be retiring Dec. 31, 2011, and need to know what offset I or my wife will experience. Will I…
Q. I have about 15 years under CSRS Offset and I am 55 years old. Since part of my annuity is funded through Social Security contributions, what happens to my annuity (besides a reduction in my total time in service) if I retire at say 60 or 62 before I reach full Social Security retirement age (66 and four months)? Do I receive the full CSRS calculated annuity or is it reduced by some fraction to adjust for the Social Security portion? If so, how is that calculated? A. If you are already retired, at age 62 your CSRS annuity will…
Q. Worked 33 years for the U.S. Postal Service under Civil Service Retirement System and four years in the Marine Corps. Back in the 1970s, I bought back my USMC time so I could draw both Social Security and civil service retirements as I worked two jobs. Now, with offset in place, I cannot draw Social Security due to USPS retirement. Can I get a refund for my buyback payment since I will never draw Social Security? A. As a CSRS employee, there wouldn’t be an “offset” that would cancel any Social Security benefit to which you might be entitled. Instead, you’d be subject…
Q. I am a federal government employee under the Civil Service Retirement System. I started Nov. 24, 1968. I have 42 years, 9 months. I have 40 quarters paid in Social Security. I have been to the Social Security office and asked about the amount of Social Security I would draw. The monthly total was $239 a month before age 66. Then it would be $249 a month after or at age 66. I have my CSRS benefit estimate report. I need to know how Social Security will affect my CSRS retirement pay. I would like to retire, but I…
Q. I am a CSRS Offset employee and I think I will be subject to the Windfall Elimination Provision. I am currently receiving $845 a month Social Security (reduced for age as I am 63) and I think when the WEP is applied I will get $380. When my CSRS pension is offset for my Social Security, will the offset be calculated using $845, my original benefit, or $380, the amount that I am actually receiving? A. The offset to your CSRS annuity will be based on the Social Security benefit you earned while covered by CSRS Offset.