U.S. Office of Personnel Management
"The Federal Government's Human Resources Agency"
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FAQ Map
- Planning Five Years before Retirement
- 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 health 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 One Year before Retirement
- What steps should I take when I get close to retiring?
- What documentation should be in the Official Personnel Folder?
- 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 picked?
- 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?
- Six Months before Retirement
- Two Months before Retirement
- Retirement Eligibility
- 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 my 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?
- Can I get payments before my claim is processed?
- How much will my interim payment be?
- When can I receive my first interim payment?
- How does OPM process my claim?
- When are my checks due?
- How long does it take to process my application?
- New Retirees
- When will I get my first payment?
- How much will my interim payments be?
- What withholdings are taken from the interim payments?
- What information will I get about my benefits when OPM finishes processing my application?
- Will I be able to pay to get credit for Federal civilian service when 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 increase?
- How much of my retirement benefit is taxable?
- Family Benefits
- How do I provide a survivor benefit for my new husband or wife?
- When will survivor benefits to my spouse end?
- How do I provide a survivor benefit for my child?
- How do I have child support payments withheld from my annuity?
- How do I stop child support payments when my children reach 18?
- How much will it cost to provide a survivor benefit for my child?
- How much will it cost to provide a survivor benefit for my new husband or wife?
- What will it cost to provide a survivor benefit for my former husband or wife?
- 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 CSRS, FERS, and FEGLI benefits published?
- Can I provide a survivor annuity 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 want?
- Benefit Adjustments
- Will my benefit increase as the cost of living increases?
- How is the amount of each Cost-of-Living Adjustment 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 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. How 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?
- Death Benefits
- How do I report a death?
- As a retiree, what kind of benefits are payable to my survivors?
- How do my survivors apply for benefits?
- How do I claim family life insurance benefits?
- Who gets my life insurance benefit?
- Can my family continue their health insurance after I die?
- Will my survivors receive cost of living increases?
- Address & Withholding Changes
- Where can I view a statement for my annuity payments online?
- How do I sign up for direct deposit?
- If I have direct deposit, where will OPM send my mail?
- I've 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?
- When and how can I change my health benefits enrollment?
- How can I change my life insurance premiums?
- Becoming Disabled
- What happens if I am unable to handle my own money?
- Does OPM recognize Powers of Attorney?
- Do I have to get periodic medical exams to keep my disability benefit?
- If I have to get periodic medical exams to keep my disability benefit, who pays for them?
- Can I receive disability benefits from the Office of Personnel Management and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) at the same time?
- Leaving Early
- 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 to an IRA?
- Will I be eligible for health and life insurance benefits when I begin receiving a deferred retirement benefits?
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Last Modified: April 17, 2002