Q. I am a civil servant with 25½ years in under FERS. My position requires that I maintain a security clearance as a condition of employment. Unfortunately, due to personal reasons, I may lose my clearance and subsequently be forced into “early retirement.” I am 48 years old. Will I be able to maintain my Federal Employees Health Benefits and special retirement supplement (when I turn 57) since I have 25 years in, if I am forced into early retirement?
A. As a discontinued service retiree, you’d be entitled to an immediate annuity. If you had been enrolled in the FEHB program continuously for five years, you’d be able to continue that coverage. You’d also be entitled to the special retirement supplement when you reached your minimum retirement age, which is 56 years and two months.
