Federal Erroneous Retirement Coverage Corrections Act
Determining if You Are in the Right Retirement Plan
How do I know which retirement system I'm in now?
Look at any of your Standard Form 50s (Notifications of
Personnel Actions). There's a block that shows your retirement plan.
It's Block 30 on all current SF-50s. You'll see a code followed by an
acronym that represents your retirement plan. Most Federal employees
are in one of four possible retirement plans. They are:
Civil Service Retirement System |
CSRS |
Code 1 or 6 |
Civil Service Retirement System and Social Security |
CSRS Offset |
Code C or E |
Social Security Only |
FICA |
Code 2 |
Federal Employees Retirement System |
FERS |
Code K, L, M, or N |
"FICA" indicates Social Security coverage on your SF-50.
For example, your retirement coverage as it appears on the SF-50 may
be CSRS and FICA instead of CSRS Offset or FERS and FICA instead of
FERS.
If your agency does not use Standard Form 50s, you can find your retirement
plan on the form it uses to notify you of personnel actions.
How do I know if I am in the wrong retirement
plan?
Which retirement plan you belong in depends upon the type
of appointment you have and your work history. The rules can be complicated.
That's why some employees are in the wrong plan. Below are some of the
common errors, broken down by retirement plan. Find your retirement
plan, and see if you fit any of the situations listed. If you do, you
may be in the wrong plan. But, remember there are exceptions to the
general rules. You may be in the right retirement plan because you fall
under one of the exceptions (like the one shown under CSRS Offset).
Contact your Human Resources office. They can help you.
CSRS |
Worked for the Government before 1984, but not on a
permanent basis; or Left Federal employment for more than a year at any time after 1983;
or Have a temporary appointment limited to a year or less, a term appointment,
or an emergency indefinite appointment; orHave no Federal civilian
employment before 1984; or Do not have a career or career conditional appointment and you work
on an intermittent basis. (See the work schedule block on your SF-50.) |
CSRS Offset |
Have a temporary appointment limited to a year or less,
a term appointment, or an emergency indefinite appointment; orHave
no Federal civilian employment before 1984; or
Do not have a career or career conditional appointment and you work
on an intermittent basis. (See the work schedule block on your SF-50.);
or
Did not work for the Government for a total of 5 years before 1987
(don't count your military service).
Exception: If you worked under CSRS, left the Government, and your
agency placed you in CSRS Offset on your return, your CSRS Offset
coverage is probably correct if you had 5 years Government service
when you left.)
|
FERS |
Have a temporary appointment limited to a year or less;
Do not have a career or career conditional appointment and you work
on an intermittent basis; or
Have worked for the Government for at least 5 years before 1987
(not including military service) unless you elected to transfer
to FERS during a FERS Open Seasons or after a break in service.
|
What if I don't fit into any of the
above situations?
Then you are probably in the right retirement plan. Remember
that most employees are in the right retirement plan. If you're still
not sure, ask your Human Resources office to review your employment
records to make sure you are in the right retirement plan.
Where can I get help in making sure
I'm in the right retirement plan?
If you currently work for the Federal Government, you
should contact your Human Resources office for help. Your agency has
all of your employment records and can verify whether your retirement
coverage is correct. Please don't contact OPM as we normally don't receive
your employment records until you separate from the Government.
If you are a separated employee, retiree, or survivor of an employee
who was in the wrong retirement plan, contact OPM on 1-888-767-6738.
I don't know where my Human Resources
office is and I need help figuring out if I'm in the right retirement
plan. What should I do?
Many employees do not actually work near their Human Resources
office. If you don't know who to contact, find the benefits counselor
for your agency at www.apps.opm.gov/abo.
Your agency's benefits counselor can help you find the office in your
agency that has your employment records and can review your retirement
coverage. Please note that neither OPM or the FERCCA Hotline has your
employment history and won't be able to tell you if you are in the right
retirement plan.
I received a Letter of Ineligibility
from OPM that states my retirement coverage is correct and no error
exists. The letter cites my having less than 5 years of creditable civilian
service as of December 31, 1986. What is so important about having 5
years of creditable civilian service and how is creditable civilian
service defined?
The 5-year test is used to determine the proper retirement
coverage of individuals who are being hired, transferred, or converted
to a permanent position in the Federal service. It applies to all retirement
coverage determinations made after January 1, 1987. If the 5-year test
is met, an individual is not automatically covered by FERS. This means
the individual would retain CSRS or CSRS Offset retirement coverage
depending on the length of separation.
The 5-year test is met if an individual had 5 years
of civilian service (don't count any military service) as of December
31, 1986. All Federal service is creditable for this purpose, regardless
of the nature of the appointment (i.e., career, non-career, and whether
or not retirement contributions were deducted from pay or a refund of
retirement contributions was received). The 5-year test also is met
if an employee separated after January 1, 1987, had 5 years of service,
and had at least one appointment subject to retirement coverage.
In the preceding question, you refer
to a length of separation (break in service). What is the length of
separation that determines if an individual retains CSRS or CSRS Offset
coverage?
Generally, CSRS Offset retirement coverage occurs when
an employee who had previously been covered under CSRS has a break in
service of over 365 days. When the individual returns to a permanent
position they will be covered under CSRS Offset and will contribute
to both CSRS and to FICA (Social Security). In other words, CSRS Offset
coverage applies to individuals who are simultaneously covered by CSRS
and by Social Security.
If an employee elected FERS coverage,
or was correctly covered automatically under FERS, can the individual
ever have CSRS or CSRS Offset coverage again?
No. Once an employee is correctly placed under FERS (except
those employees who were erroneously put in CSRS/Offset and were already
corrected to FERS), the individual will always have FERS coverage in
the future, unless excluded from retirement coverage because of the
nature of the appointment.
I just returned to work for the government
and received a term appointment. I was put under Social Security only
(FICA) for my retirement coverage. Since I previously had over 15 years
of service under CSRS, shouldn't my retirement coverage be CSRS or CSRS
Offset?
No. Term appointments are excluded from CSRS or CSRS Offset
retirement coverage. Individuals who receive a term appointment and
who are not automatically covered by FERS are covered by FICA (Social
Security) with the option to elect FERS coverage. Since you previously
had over 15 years of CSRS service, you are not automatically covered
under FERS. You coverage should be FICA. If you don't elect FERS coverage,
and then later convert to an appointment not excluded from CSRS (a career
appointment, for example), you would then be covered under CSRS or CSRS
Offset depending on when you last worked as a CSRS employee.
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