Retirement Forms And Applications
You will be required to complete a retirement application and other forms and documents. Your servicing personnel office will review your application and will verify your service history, prepare an annuity estimate, and gather all of the required forms from your OPF. These forms and the retirement papers will be forwarded to USDA. Prior to submitting the package to USDA, your specialist will call you to discuss your final annuity estimate or any other issues you may have.
USDA will submit your retirement forms and your final retirement record to the Office of Personnel Management . USDA will notify you once your papers have been forwarded to OPM. Upon receipt of your retirement documents, OPM will send you a civil service annuity number . Please allow 7 to 10 business days, after receipt of your CSA number, for your first interim annuity payment.
Your specialist will provide you with the “Notice of Agency Processing of Application for Retirement ” which will explain “What to expect ” and provide key information to assist you with tracking the progress of your retirement. He/She will also send you a copy of your annuity estimate, and copies of some of the required forms that are sent to OPM with your application. If you have not received this package within 10 business days after your retirement effective date, please send an email to or call RABAS at 202-325-6180.
Opm Retirement Benefits For A Postal Service Employee
When you retire from the U.S. Postal Service, your personnel file is transferred to the Office of Personnel Management for administration of your pension and some, but not all, of your benefits. You are eligible for many of the same benefits as other federal retirees, but because the Post Office operates independently of the federal budget, these benefits could change as the USPS seeks to manage deficits.
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Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance
Federal Employee’s Group Life Insurance consists of Basic life insurance coverage and three options. In most cases, if you are a new Federal employee, you are automatically covered by Basic life insurance and your payroll office deducts premiums from your paycheck unless you waive the coverage. In addition to the Basic, there are three forms of Optional insurance you can elect. You must have Basic insurance in order to elect any of the options. Unlike Basic, enrollment in Optional insurance is not automatic — you must take action to elect the options.
The cost of Basic insurance is shared between you and the Government. You pay two-thirds of the total cost and the Government pays one-third. Your age does not affect the cost of Basic insurance. You pay the full cost of Optional insurance, and the cost depends on your age.
The Office of Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance , which is a private entity that has a contract with the Federal Government, processes and pays claims under the FEGLI Program.
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FERS Sick Leave Rules. As a Federal Employee under FERS, you earn 4 hours of sick leave each pay period, every two weeks. Your sick leave accrues and you can save it year to year. Most Federal Employees choose to allow their sick leave to accumulate so that they can apply it towards retirement service credibility. 3. SF 3113, Applying for Immediate Retirement Under the Federal Employees Retirement System. Read the Office of Personnel Management informational pamphlet SF 3113. This pamphlet will answer many of your questions about retirement. 4. Annuity Computation. If you have never received an annuity computation, you will be. Congress created the Federal Employees Retirement System in 1986, and it became effective on January 1, 1987. Since that time, new Federal civilian employees who have retirement coverage are covered by FERS. FERS is a retirement plan that provides benefits from three different sources: a Basic Benefit Plan, Social Security and the Thrift. Disability Retirement. The federal government allows employees who are unable to work to retire under a disability retirement. It is in the best interest of both employees and the federal government for employees to remain gainfully employed in their current grade or pay level, as long as they can provide useful and efficient service without.
Health Benefits & Life Insurance
The Federal Employees Group Life Insurance program is available to all employees. The FEGLI program offers low cost term life insurance for the employee and basic coverage for the family. FEGLI offers up to five times the employees salary in death benefits.
Other insurance benefits include:
- Federal Employees Long Term Care
- Federal Employees Dental Vision Care
- Federal Flexible Spending Account Program
One of the primary benefits of Postal Service employment is the satisfaction you experience from working in a challenging and rewarding position. Positions are available with the level of responsibility and authority that you desire.
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Termination Of Insurance After Retirement
Your federal life insurance will terminate if your entitlement to annuity benefits ends. For example, if you are a disability retiree under age 60 and you are found recovered or restored to earning capacity, your disability annuity and life insurance coverage will end. You do not have the 31-day extension of coverage and may not convert the life insurance to an individual policy.
Are You Planning To Retire
While the Office of Personnel Management makes all decisions regarding retirement entitlement, current employees are required to apply for retirement through the USPS Human Resources Shared Services . Learn more.
Dont forget to act to maintain your NALC membership when you retire to continue to receive the many benefits of membership. Learn more.
Retirees are an essential part of NALCs political and legislative advocacy efforts. Learn more.
for other useful documents and resources.
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Additional Coverages Under Fegli
Employees may elect additional life insurance under FEGLI. This is called Optional insurance. New employees can elect the following optional insurance coverages: Option A Standard Option B Additional, and Option C- Family coverage. These coverages are not automatic as a new employee must elect any or all of the optional coverages within 60 days of the employees appointment to an eligible position. A completed Life Insurance Election from must be completed and submitted to the employees Human Resources Office. After the initial 60 day enrollment period, opportunities to enroll in FEGLI BIA and optional coverages are limited and will be discussed in a separate column.
Option A Standard is a flat amount of $10,000. The cost for Option A varies by age. The current premium rates are summarized in the table below:
Option A Standard
|
4.33 13.00 |
*For insurance withholding purposes, these ages are reached on the first day of the pay period that starts after an employees birthday or the first day of the month that starts after an annuitants birthday.
Example. Angela is a 46 year old employee. She elects Option A. Angela is paid on a bi-weekly basis. Her cost for Option A is therefore $0.70 bi-weekly, as shown in the table above.
|
3.900 5.720 |
*For insurance withholding purposes, these ages are reached on the first day of the pay period that starts after an employees birthday or the first day of the month that starts after an annuitants birthday.
Option C Family Coverage
Would The Proposal Impose Any Costs On Medicare
Clearly it would. That is a concern because Medicares long-term finances are even worse than those of the Service, with Medicare Part A projected to go broke in 2028. Although the Postal Service emphasizes that the extra costs on the Medicare program would be small relative to Medicares total current costs, the percentage is small only because Medicares total costs are so large.
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Important Retirement Contacts For Federal Employees
If you find that your retirement process is delayed past the dates on the timeline above, youll want to get proactive to find out whats happening. Youll also want to make sure you contact the right department for each issue you face:
- ThriftSavingsPlan: 968-3778 or www.tsp.gov
- OPM: 767-6738 or www.opm.gov
- BENEFEDS: 888-3337 or
- LTCFEDS: 582-3337 or
- FSA: 372-3337 or
- SocialSecurity: 772-1213 or www.ssa.gov
- Medicare: 633-4227 or www.medicare.gov
When The Service Defaults On Statutory Funding Contributions How Is That Recorded
The required contribution amount is reported as a cost, and it reduces profits or widens losses. Because no contribution is actually made, there is no addition to fund assets. For instance, the Postal Services statutory RHBF contribution in 2015 was $5.7 billion. Together with other costs, that obligation contributed to the Services $5.1 billion net loss in 2015. However, because the Service defaulted on the payment, it obviously did not reduce cash on hand, did not add to RHBF assets, and did not reduce the unfunded retiree health benefits liability.
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Converting Sig P365 To Xl
The Office of Personnel Management manages the civil service of the federal government, coordinates recruiting of new government employees, and manages their health insurance and retirement benefits programs. They also provide resources for locating student jobs, summer jobs, scholarships, and internships. Agency Details Acronym: OPM. Website:. Services Online . top www.servicesonline.opm.gov. Solicitation of this information is authorized by the Civil Service Retirement law and the Federal Employees Retirement law .The information you furnish will be used to identify records properly associated with your application for Federal benefits, to obtain additional.
Security Notice To Users
This is an Office of Personnel Management computer system for use only by authorized users. OPM computer systems are to be used for official business. Your use of this Government system for whatever purpose is not private or anonymous. While using Government systems, your use may be monitored or recorded. Unauthorized or inappropriate use of a Government system may result in the loss or limitation of your privileges. You may also face criminal penalties or financial liability depending on the severity of the misuse. Examples of unauthorized actions include attempts or acts to access, view, upload, change or delete information on this system, modify this system, deny access to this system, accrue resources for unauthorized use, or otherwise misuse of this system are strictly prohibited. Such attempts or acts are subject to action that may result in criminal, civil, or administrative penalties.
All access or use of this system constitutes the users understanding and acceptance of these terms and constitutes unconditional consent to review, monitor, record, audit, and take action by all authorized government and law enforcement personnel.
You should read the Privacy Act Statement which is posted on the Main Page of Services Online for a description of how the information you provide in this system will be used and shared.
Privacy Act Statement
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Why It May Make Sense To Keep The Full Basic
Electing to keep coverage into retirement becomes more of a business decision. What I mean by business decision is that it can be a smart move financially to keep 100% of basic coverage. I have seen scenarios where a person is retiring at the age of 79. He has to pay the same premiums of a federal employee that retires at the age of 57. When we ran numbers out to age 90, the return on investment looked very good for his beneficiaries.
I have worked with other people whose health had declined by the time they were retiring. In a situation like this, you would want to look at different life expectancies and the return on investment to your beneficiaries. It may be a very good return on investment if you keep basic at 100%.
Keep in mind that the amount you are paying for is actually 75% of your Basic because the 25% coverage is free after the age of 65 or retirement).
Civil Service Retirement System
If you started working for the Post Office before 1984, you probably fall under the Civil Service Retirement System, unless you voluntarily switched to the newer Federal Employees Retirement System. Your pension, which can begin as early as age 55, is based earnings, length of service and whether you provide a survivor benefit to your spouse. Because you have not paid Social Security or survivor and disability tax, also called OASDI, you are not eligible to receive either. You can contribute tax-deferred earnings to the Thrift program the federal governments version of a 401 plan but you will not receive matching funds.
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What If I Die Before My Spouse
As a federal retiree, you may enroll in a family plan, a self plan, or a self plus one plan, if offered by your insurance. Given that the FEHB is such a valuable benefit, if only one member in the household is a family employee, you should plan on utilizing his or her insurance in retirement. However, if the federal spouse dies first, its important to look at survivor benefits.
If you are enrolled in a self plus one or family plan at the time of your death in retirement, your survivors can continue coverage with the FEHB. Surprisingly, the government continues to pay the full government portion of the premiums and your survivors only need to come up with the employee portion . These amazing survivor benefits are the same for both employees and annuitants. However, you should know that if youre enrolled in a self plus one plan, your partner cannot change his or her coverage to a family plan after your death. You can find full details in the FEHB handbook.
When Fegli Coverage Stops
The FEGLI program handbook is quite clear: An employee is responsible for knowing when his or her FEGLI stops. In other words, if an employee continues in federal service and wishes to stop FEGLI coverage, then the employee must formally do so by filling out and submitting to his or her human resources office Form SF 2817. If FormSF 2817 is not submitted and accepted by the human resources office, then premiums will continue to be deducted from the employees paycheck and FEGLI coverage continues. Note that Option C, which includes life insurance coverage on an employees child younger than age 22, ceases when the child becomes age 22. However, if an employee or annuitant does complete and submit Form SF 2817 thereby formally removing the child from Option C coverage, then premiums will continue to be deducted from the employees paycheck or annuitants annuity check even though the child is no longer insured under Option C.
An employees FEGLI life insurance coverage including Accidental Death and Dismemberment will stop on the earliest of the following dates:
The date an employee separates from federal service. An employee may be eligible to continue coverage as an annuitant or while in receipt of workers compensation.
The end of a period of 12 months in non-pay status. An employee may be eligible to continue coverage while in receipt of workers compensation. The 12 months may be continuous or broken by periods of less than four consecutive months of pay status.
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Reducing Fegli After Retirement
Unless you have assigned your Federal Employees Group Life Insurance, you may cancel it at any time, including after retirement. You may wish to do this, for example, because a potential need that you were insuring against no longer existsfor example, your children are now all through college or your home is now paid offor because you decide to take out insurance through another source that better fits your need, such as a policy that builds cash value, which is not available through FEGLI.
However, as a retiree you cannot increase your FEGLI coverage unless you are reemployed by the government.
If you cancel your Basic life insurance, you are canceling all your Optional insurance as well. If you elected the 50 percent reduction or no reduction schedule upon retirement for your Basic life insurance, you may cancel this additional coverage at any time. You may also reduce the amount of your Option B insurance, if you have this coverage, or cancel any or all other Optional life insurance coverages you may have. To do so, you write to OPM telling them what you want to do.
You also can reduce the amount of coverage for reasons including the increasing cost as you move up through five-year age brackets that make coverage ever more expensive.
Federal Employees Retirement System
If you were hired in 1984 or later, you are covered under FERS. When you retire, OPM will calculate the average of your three highest years of earnings. If you retire before age 62, or with fewer than 20 years of service, OPM will pay you annually one percent of your high three average. If you are at least 62 and have more than 20 years of service when you retire, this figure increases to 1.1 percent. You also will receive Social Security and the USPS will contribute to your Thrift account one percent of your base salary each year, plus it will match contributions that you make.
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