Q. I am 40 years old and have seven years of federal service under FERS. Is it worth my time to keep on working three more years so I’ll qualify for the MRA+10 benefit? A. Even if you had 10 years of service, you couldn’t retire under the MRA+10 provision because you wouldn’t have reached your minimum retirement age, which is 57. However, because you have at least five years of creditable service, you could leave government at any time. If you didn’t ask for a refund of your retirement contributions, you could apply for a deferred annuity. If you…
Browsing: MRA + 10
Q. I’m a FERS employee. Can I retire at age 53 with 25 years of service? A. No you can’t, unless your agency offers you that opportunity because it is undergoing substantial restructuring, reshaping, downsizing, a transfer of function, or reorganization. If they aren’t, you can always resign and apply for an unreduced annuity when you reach age 60. Or you could retire under the MRA+10 provision when you reach your minimum retirement age, which would be 56 and 4 months. However, in that case your annuity would be reduced by 5 percent per year (5/12ths of 1 percent per…
Q. I’m a FERS employee and plan to retire at minimum retirement age, which is 56. However, I’ll have fewer than 30 years of service. Is the 5 percent per year penalty based on each year short of 30 years, or is it based on each year short of age 62? A. The MRA+10 provision allows FERS employees to retire at their minimum retirement age with fewer than 30 years of service. If you retire under that provision, your annuity will be reduced by 5 percent for every year (or 5/12 of 1 percent per month) that you are under…
Q. I’m a FERS employee who will be retiring soon. Will I be entitled to the special retirement supplement? A. The special retirement supplement is payable immediately to those who retire at age 60 with 20 years of service or at their minimum retirement age with 30. If you retire under an early retirement authority, it’s payable at your MRA. No paperwork is needed to receive the SRS. Three things to keep in mind: 1) The SRS is never payable to those who retire under the MRA+10 provision or who leave government and apply for a deferred annuity. 2) The…
Q. I’m in the MRA+10 category. If I leave government and apply for a postponed annuity, when can I enroll in FEHB? And, if so, would it be only after receiving an annuity or only during Open Season? A. When you apply for your postponed annuity, let OPM know that you want to re-enroll in the FEHB program. Then when you annuity begins. so will your FEHB coverage.
Q. I quit the U.S. Postal Service after working 14 years for them. Am I entitled to any sort of pension from the USPS when I turn 62 or 65? A. Yes, if you didn’t ask for a refund of your retirement contributions when you left. Regardless of whether you were covered by CSRS or FERS, you could apply for an annuity at age 62. If you were covered by FERS, you could also apply for an annuity when you reach your minimum retirement age. MRAs range from 55 to 57, depending on your year of birth. However, if you…
Q. My spouse is sick. I am 59 and have 19 years of service. Can I take early retirement and keep my health insurance and life insurance? A. Yes, you could retire under the MRA+10 provision and continue your health and life insurance coverage, as long as you had been enrolled in them for the five consecutive years before you retire. However, your annuity would be reduced by 5 percent for every year you were under age 62. Alternatively, you could ask your employer to let you work part-time and retire on a penalty-free annuity at age 60.
Q. If I resign from the government before I’m eligible to retire under the MRA+10 provision, is there a form I need to fill out before I leave?
Q. I have a progressive disease and am slowly reaching the end of my ability to do my job due to decreased mobility and fatigue. As of July 2018, I have worked for the federal government for 18 years. I will reach my minimum retirement age in February 2019. If I were to apply for a disability retirement, are the benefits better if I do so before or after reaching my MRA+10? Also, if I were granted a disability retirement under age 60, would I be penalized 5 percent for every year under age 62?
Q. I retired in 2017 at MRA +10 and have been told I don’t qualify for the supplement. I had 25 years 11 months federal service. Is that true?