Based on the mail I’ve been getting, there’s a lot of confusion about the rules governing deposits and redeposits to get credit for prior service in determining your eligibility to retire and having that time used in your annuity computation when you retire. In this column, I’ll deal with the rules that apply to Civil Service Retirement System and CSRS Offset employees. In my next column, I’ll do the same for Federal Employees Retirement System employees. Deposits The term “nondeduction service” applies to any period of federal government employment where retirement deductions weren’t taken from your pay. If you are…
Browsing: federal service
Q. I’m 49 with 30 years and one month of federal service. If I sign Standard Form 52 and resign, will I be able to collect my retirement at age 62?
Q. I retired from the Marine Corps after 21 years of service in 2002, and I’m working with the State Department. I have 10 years of service with the department and plan to do 20 years and retire from the department at 59. Can I earn separate retirements, or do I need to combine my military time with foreign service time when I retire from the department? A. Yes, you can earn two separate retirements.
Q. I am 54, with five years under FERS. I am taking a job in the private sector but would like to return to federal employment for three to five years. If I do nothing, can I apply for a deferred pension at age 62? If I do return to government service, do the total number of years accumulate? So, for example, if I return and work another five years, is my pension based on 10 years, even though they were interrupted? A. As long as you don’t take a refund of your retirement contributions when you leave, you could…
Q. I don’t understand the years and months of federal service for the annuity calculation. Would a year be 12 months, thus, say, 20 years and six months = 320 months, or 20+6 = 26? I get the 0.011 and the high-3 methodology, just stuck on the above. A. Using your example, 20 years and six months would be 20.5 years.
Q. I am on active duty. If I leave active duty and buy back my time to work at another federal job and at the same time do time with a National Guard component, will I be eligible to receive two retirements once I turn the right age? A. If you work for the federal government, you can make a deposit to get credit for that time. If you are eligible for reserve retired pay, you can receive that pay and the annuity of your civilian position. If you are eligible for military retired pay, you’ll have to waive that…
Q. I’m 54 and have been working for the government for the past nine years. I’m planning on staying for 20 years but already spent 22 years in military and am receiving my monthly pension faithfully. If and when I’m done, do I receive a separate check or do they combine them as one, and do I still get my Social Security benefit at the proper age? A. You will receive separate payments for you military and civilian service. When you apply for a Social Security benefit, you will receive that as a separate payment. In the last case, if…
Q. I was in the active Air Force for five years and in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard for 18 years. I am retired and am receiving benefits. I also have two years as a federal employee in the VA health system. I am considering a job with VA. How do I determine my status regarding years of service and how this affects benefits while working and at retirement? What office gives the definitive answer? A. OPM is the ultimate source of definitive answers; however, your own agency personnel office should be able to give you the same answers. They…
Q. I worked one year at the veterans hospital in Palo Alto, then joined the Navy. I am exploring retirement from the Navy after 26 years of good service. Can I link my federal service toward military retirement? Every year of military service means 2.5 percent more toward retirement. Most people are asking about the opposite. A. No.
Q. I have been employed with the Department of Homeland Security in the Transportation Security Administration for just under five years. I am planning to leave federal service to obtain field experience in the private sector with ambitions to return to the federal system with the FBI. 1. Are there any specific impacts of leaving service before the five-year milestone? 2. Are there specific do’s and don’t’s when leaving with intent to return to service? 3. Will the time I have invested stay with me when I rejoin the system? 4. Do I need to resume service within a certain…