Q: I am FERS and will have 31 years of service with MRA soon. This means I will be paid the Special Retirement Supplement (SRS) at the 70 percent rate (calculated as if I were 62). I was born in 1961, so my full retirement age for Social Security is age 67. SRS is payable until age 62.
Can I elect not to start receiving Social Security benefits at age 62? Will a gap in receiving benefits from SRS to Social Security (say I elect age 65 to apply for Social Security) affect my Social Security benefits when I apply for them at that later age? Do these benefits (SRS and Social Security) have to be continuous without a break?
A: The special retirement supplement ends at age 62 when you first become eligible for a Social Security benefit. It’s entirely up to you whether you apply for a Social Security benefit at that time or later on.
