Answers to frequently asked questions about given topics are listed below. Select a topic or question to read more.

Planning for Retirement in Five Years

• How do I begin planning for retirement?

• What will my employer do to help me plan for retirement?

• When should I begin planning for retirement?

• When can I keep my heath insurance benefits after I retire?

• Can the requirements for continuing health insurance coverage be waived?

• What are the requirements to keep life insurance in retirement?

• Can the requirements for continuing life insurance be waived?

• What should I do about my service?

• What should I do about social security?

• What is the Government Pension Offset?

• What is the Windfall Elimination Provision?

• Can I estimate the amount of the Windfall Elimination Provision reduction?

Planning for Retirement in One Year

• What steps should I take when I get close to retiring?

• What documentation should be in the Official Personnel Folder (OPF)?

• Are there other records I should check?

• What records are needed for my health benefits?

• What records are needed for my life insurance?

• What can I do if I am eligible to continue my health benefits coverage but my retirement payment will not cover the cost of my premium?

• How do I make a payment to receive retirement credit for my military service after 1956?

• I worked for a time when retirement deductions were not withheld from my pay. Will I still get retirement credit for that time?

• I got a refund of the retirement deductions that were withheld from my pay. Will I still get retirement credit for that time?

• How do I make a payment to get credit for service?

• How do I know if I can retire on the date I choose?

• How do I plan to provide benefits to my survivors after my death?

• What is a Minimum Retirement Age (MRA) plus 10 annuity under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS)?

• What happens if I postpone the Minimum Retirement Age (MRA) plus 10 annuity?

• What are voluntary contributions?

• How will I receive credit for my voluntary contributions?

• What annuity estimates do I need?

• Will I receive a Cost-of-Living Adjustment?

• I am covered under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) subject to offset due to social security eligibility. This coverage is known as CSRS-Offset. How does the offset affect the computation of my benefit?

• Will I get paid for my unused annual leave?

• How will workers compensation affect my civil service annuity?

• What withholdings will be taken from my retirement payments?

Planning for Retirement in Six Months

• How might I be indebted to my employer?

• When and how do I waive my military retired pay?

• What is the maximum benefit I can receive?

• How do I find out if I am eligible for Medicare

Planning for Retirement in Two Months

• When should I choose my exact retirement date?

• When should I complete my application?

• Should I check on my military service deposit?

• Should I sign up now to receive my retirement payments by direct deposit?

• How long does it take to withdraw money from the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)?

Eligibility for Retirement Benefits

• Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS)

• Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS)

Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA)

• When am I eligible to retire under the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA)?

• Under what circumstances am I not eligible to retire under the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA)?

• May I use my annual leave to qualify for the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA)?

• Is retirement under this authority considered voluntary?

• What are the basic retirement eligibility requirements?

Applying for Retirement

• How can I apply for retirement?

• Where should I apply?

• Who can receive an annuity?

• Who processes my application?

• Can I speed up the processing time?

• How does my personnel office process my application?

• What happens after my personnel office processes my application?

• How do I know my claim was processed?

• Who should I call if I have any questions about my claim number?

• How does the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) process my claim?

• How long does it take to process my application?

Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) Benefits

• What benefits are in my Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) retirement package?

• When am I eligible to retire under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS)?

• How is the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) Basic Benefit computed?

• How is my Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) disability benefit computed?

• I retired for disability. Will my Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) benefit change when I am 62?

• How is the benefit of a firefighter, law enforcement officer, or an air traffic controller computed?

• How is the benefit of a Congressional employee or Member of Congress computed?

• I am a military reserve technician. When can I retire?

• I changed to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) after more than five years when I was covered under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). How is my benefit computed?

• I changed to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) after more than five years when I was covered under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and I served as a law enforcement officer or firefighter. How is my benefit computed?

• I changed to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) after more than five years when I was covered under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS)and I served as a Congressional employee or as a Member of Congress. How is my benefit computed?

• Is the annual basic benefit reduced?

• Is the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) benefit reduced for age?

• Is my annuity reduced if I provide for a benefit after my death to a surviving spouse?

• What is the alternative annuity under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS)?

• How is the high-3 average salary computed?

• How do I find out about the Minimum Retirement Age (MRA)?

• What is the annuity supplement under Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS)?

• Am I eligible for the annuity supplement?

• Who becomes eligible later for the annuity supplement?

• Who is not eligible for the annuity supplement?

• How is the annuity supplement computed?

• Does the amount of the annuity supplement change?

• Is the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) annuity increased by Cost-of-Living Adjustments?

• How is the amount of the Cost-of-Living Adjustment determined?

• When do my benefits begin?

• Can I change from a non-disability retirement to a disability retirement?

• May I receive Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) retirement benefits and other Federal benefits?

• Is sick leave counted in the computation of my annuity?

• I received a refund of my retirement contributions from an earlier employment period. Is that service credited in my annuity computation?

• I worked for a time when retirement contributions were not withheld from my pay. Is that service credited in my annuity computation?

• I previously received a refund of retirement contributions. Is that service credited in my annuity computation?

• Is my benefit adjusted by the Windfall Elimination Provision or Government Pension Offset?

• What payments can I roll over?

Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) Benefits

• When am I eligible to retire under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS)?

• How is the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) benefit computed?

• How is the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) benefit computed for a law enforcement officer or firefighter?

• How is the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) benefit computed for an air traffic controller?

• How is the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) benefit computed for a Congressional employee or Member of Congress?

• How is the high-3 average salary computed?

• How is my Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) disability benefit computed?

• Is the annual basic benefit reduced?

• What is the maximum benefit?

• Can I purchase additional annuity if my benefit is not equal to the maximum?

• What payments can I roll over?

• Is the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) benefit reduced for age?

• Is my benefit reduced if I provide for a benefit after my death to a surviving spouse?

• What is the alternative annuity under Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS)?

• Is the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) annuity increased by Cost-of-Living Adjustments?

• When do my benefits begin?

• Can I change from a non-disability retirement to a disability retirement?

• May I receive my Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) annuity and other Federal benefits?

• How is the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) Offset benefit computed?

• Is sick leave counted in the computation of my annuity?

• I received a refund of my retirement contributions from an earlier employment period. Is that service credited in my annuity computation?

• I worked for a time when retirement contributions were not withheld from my pay. Is that service credited in my annuity computation?

• Is my benefit adjusted by the Windfall Elimination Provision or Government Pension Offset?

Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) Disability Benefits

• When should I apply for disability benefits?

• What forms should I use to apply for benefits if I am still working or if I have left Government employment within the past month?

• How should I apply if I left Government service more than a month ago?

• What are the eligibility requirements for disability retirement?

• What criteria will you use to approve my application for disability retirement?

• Who pays for medical examinations that may be needed?

• How will my application be handled?

• How is my benefit computed?

• How long may I receive disability benefits?

• Is there a limit on my earnings after disability retirement?

• Will you periodically reevaluate my medical condition?

• How may I be reemployed by the Federal Government after disability retirement?

• May I receive other Federal benefits and my disability annuity?

• Am I eligible for another annuity if my disability benefit ends?

• Can my disability annuity be reinstated if it ends?

• Is there additional information about payments and address or withholding changes?

• Is the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) annuity increased by Cost-of-Living Adjustments?

• How can I maintain health insurance coverage if my enrollment in the Federal Employees' Health Benefits (FEHB) program is discontinued while my disability retirement application is pending?

Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) Disability Benefits

• When should I apply for disability benefits?

• What forms should I use to apply for benefits if I am still working or if I have left Government employment within the past month?

• How should I apply if I left Government service more than a month ago?

• What are the eligibility requirements for disability retirement?

• What criteria will you use to approve my application for disability retirement?

• Who pays for medical examinations that may be needed?

• How will my application be handled?

• How is my benefit computed?

• Will my disability retirement be the same if I am covered by CSRS-Offset?

• How long may I receive disability benefits?

• Is there a limit on my earnings after disability retirement?

• Will you periodically reevaluate my medical condition?

• How may I be reemployed by the Federal Government after disability retirement?

• May I receive other Federal benefits and my disability annuity?

• Am I eligible for another annuity if my disability benefit ends?

• Can my disability annuity be reinstated if it ends?

• Is there additional information about payments and address or withholding changes?

• Is the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) annuity increased by Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLA)?

• How can I maintain health insurance coverage if my enrollment in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program is discontinued while my disability retirement application is pending?

New Retirees

• When will I get my first payment?

• How much will my interim payments be?

• What is withheld from my interim pay?

• What information will I get about my benefits when the Office of Personnel Management finishes processing my application?

• Will I be able to pay to get credit for Federal civilian service if I made no contributions?

• Can I change my health insurance?

• Can I change my life insurance coverage?

• I retired in the last year. Will I get a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA)?

• How much of my retirement benefit is taxable?

Federal Civil Service Retirement Payments

• Who is responsible for making my retirement benefit payments?

• When are recurring monthly payments due?

• What do I do if my payment is missing or lost?

• Is there a time limit for cashing civil service retirement benefit payments?

• What withholdings or deductions are made from my monthly annuity payment?

• How do I change my address, direct deposit, or my withholdings?

• If I am due benefits for a part of a month, how is the annuity rate for that month determined?

• How do I waive my annuity?

• What happens if I am unable to sign a check?

• If I owe money to the U.S. Government, can it be withheld from my annuity payments?

• Can someone with a general power of attorney (an attorney-in-fact) negotiate an annuity payment?

• What should I do if I am taking care of an annuitant who is physically or mentally unable to take care of his or her financial affairs?

• What should be done with any uncashed checks after an annuitant's death?

• Will I receive Cost-of-Living Adjustments?

Cost-of-Living Adjustments to Civil Service Retirement Benefits

• How is the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) determined?

• When is the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) paid?

• What is the amount of the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA)?

Survivor Benefit Elections, Court-Ordered Benefits, and Children's Benefits

• What elections are available to provide a survivor benefit for my spouse when I retire?

• What is a full survivor benefit?

• What is a partial survivor benefit?

• How is the reduction calculated?

• What requirements must I fulfill if I am married and decide not to provide a survivor benefit for my spouse when I retire?

• What is an insurable interest survivor benefit election?

• Can I change my survivor benefit election after retirement?

• How do I provide a survivor benefit for my new husband or wife?

• Can I provide a survivor benefit for my ex-wife or ex-husband?

• How will my military service affect the monthly benefit for my survivors?

• Under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) Offset program, how is the survivor annuity reduced?

• When will survivor benefits to my spouse end?

• How do I provide a survivor benefit for my child?

• How much will it cost to provide a survivor benefit for my child?

• Can my child get a survivor benefit after age 18?

• When will benefits to my child end?

• I have divorced. Is my former husband or wife eligible for a survivor benefit?

• Are the rules that apply to court orders affecting Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), and FEGLI benefits published?

• Can I provide a survivor annuity payable after my death for my husband or wife when a court has awarded benefits for an ex-spouse?

• What benefits can be affected by a court order?

• When can a court order require that money be withheld from my annuity?

• Can a court order be modified after I retire or die?

• How can I check on the status of my court-ordered benefit?

• How do I provide a survivor benefit for my former husband or wife?

• When will benefits to my former husband or wife end?

• Who is covered under my family health insurance coverage?

• Can my former spouse continue health insurance coverage?

• Can my former spouse receive my life insurance?

• Where can I find more information on my family's health benefits?

• How can I make sure my life insurance is paid to whom I designate?

Adjustments in Annuity Amounts

• Will my benefit increase as the cost-of-living goes up?

• How is the amount of each Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) determined?

• I have military service after 1956. Will I continue to receive credit for the service after I become eligible for social security?

• I am receiving Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) Offset benefits. What will happen to my benefit when I become eligible for social security?

• I am receiving a Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) disability benefit. Will my benefit ever change?

• I am receiving a disability benefit. Can my benefit be stopped?

• If my disability benefit stops, can it ever be reinstated?

• What happens to my life insurance when I turn 65?

• What happens to my retirement benefit if I go back to work for the Government?

Address Changes, Direct Deposit Sign Ups, and Allotment, Bond, and Income Tax Withholdings

• Where can I view a statement for my annuity payments online?

• Can I continue to receive my payments by check?

• How do I sign up for direct deposit?

• If I have direct deposit, where will the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) send my mail?

• I have moved. What changes do I need to make to my benefit?

• What kind of withholdings can voluntarily be taken from my benefit?

• How do I change my voluntary withholdings?

• What are the other possible withholdings from or adjustments to my payment?

• How can I have Medicare premiums withheld from my payments?

• When and how can I change my health benefits enrollment?

• How can I change my life insurance premiums?

Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) Death Benefits

• How do I report a death?

• How does the deceased's employment status at the time of death affect the benefits I may receive?

• May I receive benefits if I am the surviving spouse of a deceased retiree?

• May I receive benefits if I am an ex-spouse of a deceased retiree?

• Are recurring monthly benefits payable to the children of a deceased retiree?

• May I receive benefits if I am the surviving spouse of someone who died while working for the Federal Government?

• May I receive benefits if I am the ex-spouse of someone who died while working for the Federal Government?

• Are recurring monthly benefits payable to the children of someone who died while working for the Federal Government?

• Are recurring monthly benefits payable to survivors of someone whose death occurs after leaving Federal employment and before retirement?

• Who will receive any lump sum payments?

• How do I apply for benefits?

• When do my benefits begin?

• When do my benefits end?

• Are children eligible for benefits after age 18?

• How is the amount of my benefits as a surviving spouse of an annuitant determined?

• How is the amount of my benefits as a surviving spouse of an employee determined?

• How is the amount of my benefits determined as a surviving spouse of someone whose death occurs after leaving Federal employment and before retirement?

• How is the amount of my benefits as an ex-spouse determined?

• How is the amount of children's benefits determined?

• How do I claim family life insurance benefits?

• Who will receive the life insurance benefit?

• Can I continue health insurance coverage?

• Will I receive Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLA)?

• Is there additional information about payments and address or withholding changes?

• May I receive the survivor annuity and social security benefits?

• Will my deceased spouse's military service be used to determine the amount of my survivor annuity?

• May I receive more than one annuity?

• Does employment income affect my survivor annuity?

• What is the death benefit gratuity?

• What payments may I roll over?

Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) Death Benefits

• How do I report a death?

• May I receive benefits if I am the surviving spouse of a deceased retiree?

• May I receive benefits if I am an ex-spouse of a deceased retiree?

• Are recurring monthly benefits payable to the children of a deceased retiree?

• May I receive benefits if I am the surviving spouse of someone who died while working for the Federal Government?

• May I receive benefits if I am the ex-spouse of someone who died while working for the Federal Government?

• Are recurring monthly benefits payable to the child(ren) of someone who died while working for the Federal Government?

• Are recurring monthly benefits payable to survivors of someone whose death occurs after leaving Federal employment and before retirement?

• Who will receive any lump sum payments?

• How do I apply for benefits?

• When do my benefits begin?

• When do my benefits end?

• Are children eligible for benefits after age 18?

• How is the amount of my benefits as a surviving spouse determined?

• How is the amount of my benefits as an ex-spouse determined?

• How is the amount of children's benefits determined?

• How do I claim family life insurance benefits?

• Who will receive the life insurance benefit?

• Can I continue health insurance coverage?

• Will I receive Cost-of-Living Adjustments?

• Is there additional information about payments and address or withholding changes?

• May I receive the survivor annuity and social security benefits?

• Are my benefits figured differently if my spouse, a deceased retiree, was covered by the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) Offset program?

• Will my deceased spouse's military service be used to determine the amount of my survivor annuity?

• May I receive more than one annuity?

• Does employment income affect my survivor annuity?

• What payments may I roll over?

Leaving Government Service before Retirement

• I left my government job before becoming eligible for retirement. What are my options regarding my retirement contributions?

• How do I apply to have my retirement contributions returned to me in a lump sum payment?

• Will I get interest on the lump sum payment of my retirement contributions?

• Is my refund of retirement contributions taxable?

• Can I roll over my refund of retirement contributions?

• Will I be eligible for health and life insurance benefits when I begin receiving a deferred retirement benefits?