Q. I retired in June 2011 at age 56 with 32 years at the Postal Service under CSRS. When I turn 62, will I be able to apply for Social Security benefits without reducing CSRS benefits? I have enough quarters to draw a small amount from Social Security.
A. Because you are a pure CSRS employee, your annuity wouldn’t be reduced when you apply for a Social Security benefit. However, you would be subject to the windfall elimination provision, which would reduce the amount of your Social Security benefit because you’d have fewer than 30 years of substantial earnings under Social Security.