By Reg Jones
Early-outs and part-time service
May 14th, 2013 | Creditable service: CSRS Creditable service: FERS Early retirement part-time Postal Service RETIREMENT
Q. I’m a rural mail carrier and am wondering if I would qualify for an early out when/if offered. My duty date is April 1984 (29 years), but I was hired as a sub (rural carrier associate) and didn’t become regular until 1990, so my retirement computation date is January 1990 (23 years). But I recently turned 49, so I would need 25 years of service to retire under an early out because I am under age 50. I would have 25 years in if the counting period included my sub years.
Are my years of service calculated from when I was hired as an RCA in 1984 or when I went full time in 1990? I realize my annuity would be based on my full-time service, but would my years to total service be calculated with my part-time years? I realize rural carriers have not been offered early-outs yet , but there is much talk about it, and I’m afraid if they offer it before I turn 50 , I won’t qualify since much of my time was as a sub carrier.
Tags: Early retirement, part-time employment, Postal Service
Adding spouse to insurance
May 8th, 2013 | Coverage after retirement HEALTH INSURANCE Postal Service spouse benefits
Q. I am a postal employee with self-only coverage. My wife works in private industry and has her own self coverage. Do I need to convert to family coverage and add my wife five years before I retire to keep her on my health insurance? Also, where can I find answers to questions like this?
Tags: FEHB, Postal Service, self-only coverage
Three annuities
May 8th, 2013 | Uncategorized
Q. I retired from the military with full retirement in 1995. I think I understand that I cannot buy back any military time without forfeiting retirement pay when I retire from my federal job with the post office. Since the money comes out of my pocket, I have a hard time understanding this. However, I will have 20 years of service with the post office in 2017, when I am 56. If I take retirement, then why will I have a MRA+10 reduction till age 62 if I can retire fully at 60 with 20? Why would it be 30 percent instead of only 20 percent? Also, with the military pension and postal retirement, if Social Security is still around, how will this affect my annuity? Will I be able to pull all three full annuities? Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: annuity, FERS, military buyback, military service, MRA+10, Postal Service, SOCIAL SECURITY
CSRS disability and military redeposit
May 8th, 2013 | Uncategorized
Q. I’m a 55-year-old CSRS employee filing for disability retirement from the USPS. I have eight years military but have redeposited only half of what is required.
Will I be able to continue making deposits while OPM reviews my case? And if not, will I get my initial deposit back in a lump sum?
Tags: CSRS, disability, lump sum, military buyback, military service, OPM, Postal Service
Obtaining deferred annuity
May 1st, 2013 | Deferred retirement DOWNSIZING Resignation
Q. I resigned from the Postal Service in August 2005. My start date was Jan. 15, 1975. My pension was placed in a deferred annuity. I understand this annuity is maintained in Pennsylvania.
Could I obtain the address of this place, and will I be able to draw my pension at 60 or 62?
Tags: CSRS, Deferred annuity, OPM, Postal Service
Retiring early on sick leave
April 30th, 2013 | Early retirement Postal Service Sick leave
Q. I work for USPS under FERS. On Feb. 4, 2015, I will be 57 and have 30 years of service. I will also have approximately six months of sick leave. Can I use my sick leave as days worked and retire six months earlier?
Tags: FERS, Postal Service, RETIREMENT, sick leave
USPS survivor annuity and Social Security
April 24th, 2013 | Benefits FEHBP HEALTH INSURANCE part-time Postal Service SOCIAL SECURITY spouse benefits SURVIVOR BENEFITS
Q. My husband died at age 51 in 2000. He worked 28 years for USPS, plus four years in the military, for 32 years (he paid no Social Security taxes for the 28 years in USPS). I have received widow’s death benefit annuity payments since his death, in addition to purchasing the USPS medical insurance plan. I worked full time in the medical profession until his death and have worked part time since 2000. I would like to take my Social Security at age 62 (in 3 years). Am I still eligible to receive the USPS death benefit annuity (and insurance option) once I start collecting my Social Security?
Tags: FEHB, military service, Postal Service, SOCIAL SECURITY, survivor annuity
Early postal retirement and supplemental income
April 24th, 2013 | Early retirement Postal Service RETIREMENT Special retirement supplement
Q. I took early retirement from the post office Feb. 28, 2009, with 26 years of service at age 48. Will I be eligible for supplemental income at age 56?
Former federal employee and total service computation
April 10th, 2013 | CSRS annuity computation EMPLOYMENT FERS annuity computation Postal Service
Q. I worked for the U.S. Postal Service under CSRS for 17 years and resigned in 1988 to work in private industry. I left my contributions in the retirement fund. Several years later, I went to work for the Department of Veterans Affairs as a FERS employee. Can my time with USPS be used toward my retirement with the Department of Veterans Affairs?
Tags: annuity, CSRS, FERS, Postal Service, retirement fund
Appropriate retirement system for mail carrier
April 9th, 2013 | CSRS Offset EMPLOYMENT Postal Service Uncategorized
Q. I am a carrier for the post office. I was hired as a career employee in 1998. I have been under FERS from the start.
However, I also worked as a career employee for the post office between November 1978 and March 1984 under CSRS. I recently filled out Form 3108 to try and buy back those 5½ years toward my retirement. After such a long break in service, will I still remain under FERS, or will I be classified as a CSRS offset?
Tags: CSRS, CSRS offset, FERS, Postal Service
Early retirement’s effects on pension
April 9th, 2013 | annuity reduction EMPLOYMENT MRA + 10 Postal Service RETIREMENT Special retirement supplement Uncategorized
Q. I am a 55-year-old city mail carrier with 18-plus years of service. How much of a reduction from my full retirement funds would result if I retired at 57 with 20 years of service?
Tags: annuity, MRA+10, Postal Service, special retirement supplement
Special retirement supplement extension
April 8th, 2013 | EMPLOYMENT FERS annuity computation Postal Service RETIREMENT Special retirement supplement Uncategorized
Q. I retired from the Postal Service on July 1, 2011, under FERS and am receiving a FERS annuity supplement of $746 per month. I also was awarded Social Security disability in April 2011, with payments starting in November 2011. Can I still receive an annuity supplement when I am 62?
Tags: FERS, Postal Service, Social Security disability, special retirement supplement
Leave, USPS and retirement benefits
April 2nd, 2013 | Annual leave EMPLOYMENT Leave without pay Postal Service Sick leave Uncategorized
Q. A Postal Service employee had to use all his sick and annual leave because of illness. He used leave without pay. When he retired, he was not entitled to benefits. He received only his contributions. Why did he get back only his funds and not the complete package because of LWOP? Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: annual leave, annuity, Deferred annuity, Leave without pay, Postal Service, sick leave
Personnel records
March 31st, 2013 | Uncategorized
Q. I worked as an on-call substitute clerk carrier at the Kenilworth substation at 6270 Kenilworth Ave., Riverdale, MD 20737 from June 1965 to April 1967. How can I document for my retirement?
Tags: personnel records, Postal Service
Creditable service
March 31st, 2013 | Uncategorized
Q. I am 43 years old with 20 years of federal service: nine years as Border Patrol agent and 11 as an 1811 (Postal Inspector). Will my Border Patrol time count as out at any age with 25 years?
Tags: Border Patrol, creditable service, OPM, Postal Service
Survivor annuity
March 31st, 2013 | Uncategorized
Q. My father who lives in Puerto Rico, is retired from the Postal Service, and is 64 years old. He told me that if he passes, I’m listed to get his pension which would be $1,200 a month, what he gets now. He is not married, and I’m curious if it’s that simple. Am I eligible? Will I get that much? For how long? I am 34.
Tags: contributions, FEGLI, Postal Service, RETIREMENT, survivor annuity
Deferred annuity
March 31st, 2013 | Uncategorized
Q. I am a Postal Service employee under FERS, I am over 55 years old and have about 26½ years of service. If I left USPS to work somewhere else in the private sector, would I be able to collect my annuity payments from USPS every month, or would I have to wait until I retire completely to start collecting?
Tags: Deferred annuity, FERS, Postal Service, RETIREMENT
Disability compensation and annuity
March 31st, 2013 | High-3 PAY Uncategorized
Q. I’m a 100 percent disabled veteran, effective April 2008, with war-incurred injuries.
In 2010, I applied for disability retirement while working for the Postal Service with 14 years of service and did not buy back my military time.
The Office of Personnel Management calculated my high-3 on my postal salary alone. Should they not have calculated my Veterans Affairs Department compensation income from 2008, since it was a war-incurred injury that led me to retire? Is there a statue that protects vets who have war-incurred injuries? And does OPM allow special compensation for this matter?
Tags: annuity computation, disability, high-3, military buyback, OPM, Postal Service, RETIREMENT
Catch-62
March 30th, 2013 | SOCIAL SECURITY Uncategorized
Q. I was told I am included in the catch 62 provision. I served four years in the Air Force from 1974 to 1978 and began Postal Service employment in 1979 (to present). I’d like to retire this year. I also have 2,282 hours of sick leave, and my service computation begins in 1975.
Tags: annuity reduction, Catch-62, military, Postal Service, RETIREMENT, service computation date, sick leave, SOCIAL SECURITY
Age limit for life insurance?
March 30th, 2013 | Uncategorized
Q. When I retire from the Postal Service (under FERS), can I continue paying for life insurance for my husband and me when we are over the age of 80 or 90? Or does the Office of Personnel Management not allow me to continue paying for life insurance when I reach a certain age?
Tags: FERS, LIFE INSURANCE, OPM, Postal Service, RETIREMENT