Q. I retired in 2006 under CSRS as an air traffic controller. I had 33 years of government service between the Air Force and the Federal Aviation Administration. I started receiving Social Security disability payments this month. I receive a periodic statement from the Social Security Administration stating what my benefits are and how much I would receive each month. The statement showed $1,200 a month. I receive $705 a month instead. I’ve earned enough credits working prior to and after my CSRS career. Why am I penalized when I have earned both benefits in my opinion?
Browsing: air traffic controller
Q. I was an air traffic controller. My Federal Aviation Administration hire date was Sept. 30, 1990. I was terminated March 8 — 261 days from being eligible for retirement because I lost my medical. My 50th birthday is Nov. 24. I have over 22 years of “good time” and five years of military time, which I bought back, for a total of 27 years of government service. The FAA says I can file for a disability retirement, but otherwise I am entitled to nothing. Can this be right? Even if I get the disability retirement, it will be less…
Q. Are there any situations and/or waivers that would allow someone under FERS to continue to work after reaching mandatory retirement age? A. CSRS and FERS law enforcement officers and firefighters are subject to mandatory retirement at age 57 if they have 20 years of service. An agency head can retain an LEO until age 60 if he finds that the employee’s continued service is in the public interest. The FBI has limited authority to raise the age to 65. While a CSRS LEO can be retained above age 60, it may only do so with the Office of Personnel…
Q. What is the mandatory retirement age to retire from the federal government? I just turned 52 years old and will have 28 years of federal service in June. How many years can I work to reach the mandatory retirement age? What happens when I reach the mandatory retirement age and I decide not to retire at that time? A. With the exception of special category employees, such as law enforcement officers, firefighters and air traffic controllers, there is no mandatory retirement age for federal employees.
Q. Who is eligible for phased retirement under the bill that Congress passed that will allow retirement-eligible federal employees to work part time? A. The law applies to anyone who has met the age and service requirements to retire on an unreduced annuity except for law enforcement officers — including Customs and Border Protection, Capitol Police and Supreme Court officers — firefighters, nuclear materials couriers and air traffic controllers, all of whom face a mandatory retirement age. However, the decision on whether to use the new authority rests solely with the employee’s agency.
Q. Can I apply for an air traffic controller FERS retirement even if I am not employed by the federal government? I left the FAA OCT in 2009 and was 47. I resigned in good standing and left only for personal reasons. I am now 50 with more than 21 years of good air traffic controller time. I was hired by the FAA in 1988 and also have 6½ years’ Air Force time. I have also paid back my military service. I now receive Social Security for disability. Does this impact my eligibility for FERS? What do I do? A.…
Q. Can I apply for an air traffic controller FERS retirement even if I am not employed by the federal government? I left the FAA OCT in 2009 and was 47. I resigned in good standing and left only for personal reasons. I am now 50 with more than 21 years of good air traffic controller time. I was hired by the FAA in 1988 and also have 6½ years’ Air Force time. I have also paid back my military service. I now receive Social Security for disability. Does this impact my eligibility for FERS? What do I do? A.…
Q. I am an air traffic controller who will be forced to retire in one year at age 56. Are there other federal agencies I can transfer into and retain my benefits (vacation/sick leave), and even perhaps my current pay, before I reach mandatory retirement age under the FAA? A. There may be such opportunities, but you’ll have to find them on your own. Start by going to www.USAjobs.gov. That’s where you’ll find an inventory of positions agencies are hoping to fill. If they match your skills and abilities and meet the pay criteria you’ve set, you can apply for…
Q. I am an air traffic controller subject to mandatory retirement at age 56. I am under FERS. When I reach age 56, I will not have 20 years of service. Can I continue as a controller until I reach my 20 years of service even though I will be past age 56? A. Yes.
Q. I am a federal air traffic controller facing forced retirement at age 56. There is a Social Security “bridge” supplement to cover the gap between 56 and the age when I can draw full Social Security. Is any portion of my retirement subject to earning restrictions? A. Yes. Your special retirement supplement will be reduced or suspended if you earn more from wages or self-employment in a calendar year than the annual Social Security earnings limit. In 2012, that limit is $14,640.