January 2013 - Benefits Newsletter
What's New?
1. Benefits Calendar Of Events
2. How Can I Confirm My Federal Benefits Open Season Elections?
3. New Treasury Mandate – Direct Deposit Of Pay Required By March 1st!
4. The Temporary Social Security Tax Cut Expired December 31st!
Topics Of Interest:
5. How Can I Confirm That My Home Address Is Accurate In myPay?
6. Can I Make Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) Catch-Up Contributions?
7. Employment And Income Verification – Use TALX – The Work Number®
8. Why Do I Need A myPay PIN And How Can I Get One?
9. Where Can I Find Information On Pay And Leave?
Where Do I Go If I Have Questions About My Benefits?
10. How Can I Get In Touch With My Benefits Contact?
11. Previous NIH Benefits Information – Did You Know? E-mails
What's New?
1. Benefits Calendar of Events
2. How Can I Confirm My Federal Benefits Open Season Elections?
The Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Open Season elections and the 2013 FEHB rate changes (OPM) were effective on January 13, 2013. You will see these changes reflected on your Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) for the February 1, 2013, pay date in myPay (DFAS). Additionally, the Open Season elections for the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) and the Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) Program were effective on January 1, 2013. The FSA change was reflected on your LES for January 4, 2013, and the FEDVIP change will be reflected on your LES for the pay date of February 1, 2013.
You can access your LES through myPay (DFAS). Please verify that all appropriate changes are reflected on your LES. You will see changes in pay and deductions identified in green. If you scroll over or click on the green entry, it will show you what entry was on your last LES and to what it has been changed on the LES you are viewing. Also, the information identified in blue will allow you to get additional information regarding the entry.
3. New Treasury Mandate – Direct Deposit Of Pay Required By March 1st!
Beginning March 1, 2013, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) will no longer issue paper checks. Instead, DFAS will pay all employees by direct deposit (electronic funds transfer-EFT). With direct deposit, DFAS sends your pay directly to your bank account. It gives you immediate access to your money the day your payment is due. It also eliminates the risk of lost or stolen checks, forged signatures and identity theft. About 99 percent of DFAS customers currently receive their pay by direct deposit.
To start your direct deposit, you must use myPay (DFAS) or submit a Direct Deposit Form to the Benefits and Payroll Liaison Branch, Bldg 31/Rm B3C23. Please don’t wait for March 1. Make the switch today!
4. The Temporary Social Security Tax Cut Expired December 31st!
The temporary 2% Social Security payroll tax cut expired at the end of December. The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 temporarily reduced the Social Security payroll tax rate by 2% for workers, and the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 extended it through December 2012. FERS and CSRS Offset employees saw a decrease in their net pay on the January 4 pay day when their tax rate increased from 4.2% to 6.2%.
Topics Of Interest:
5. How Can I Confirm That My Home Address Is Accurate In myPay?
Your W-2 for 2012 will soon be mailed to your home address of record. Please verify the accuracy of your home address by accessing myPay (DFAS) and selecting Correspondence Address. If your address is incorrect, make the change and select Save. Currently, you are able to print your 2012 W-2 by using myPay (DFAS).
Any address change you make in myPay will automatically transmit to update your TSP account record. However, this information does not automatically transmit to your health insurance carrier. To update your address with your health carrier, you must contact your carrier directly at the telephone number shown on your health plan ID card. To update your address with your dental and/or vision carrier, you must use the BENEFEDS portal or contact BENEFEDS directly at 1-877-888-3337. To update your address for your Flexible Spending Account (FSA), you must log into your account on the FSAFEDS homepage or contact them directly at 1-877-372-3337. The change of address also does not update your state tax withholding. If you have moved to or from Maryland, you must complete a state tax form for your new state and submit it for processing to the Benefits and Payroll Liaison Branch, Bldg 31/Rm B3C23. For movement between other states and/or the District, you must use myPay (DFAS) to change your state tax withholding
6. Can I Make Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) Catch-Up Contributions?
In addition to regular TSP contributions, you may also make TSP Catch-up contributions (TSP), if you meet the following criteria: 1) you are age 50 or over (or will be age 50 during 2013); 2) you are in pay status; AND 3) you are contributing an amount towards your regular TSP which will cause you to reach the $17,500 IRS limit by the end of the 2013 calendar year. The 2013 IRS limit for Catch-up contributions remains at $5,500. Unlike regular TSP elections, a Catch-up election is only valid for one year. Therefore, if you want to make Catch-up contributions each year, you must make a new election each year. To make a Catch-up election for 2013, you must use myPay (DFAS). Be certain to enter the amount you want withheld from your pay each pay period. If you have questions, please notify your Benefits Contact.
7. Employment And Income Verification – Use TALX – The Work Number®
The Work Number®, is an automated system that provides proof of employment and income to verifiers. Workforce Solutions is widely known and used by over 50,000 entities including most major financial institutions, mortgage lenders, leasing companies, and private corporations to verify employment and income status of employees. The system provides a secure way for verifiers to obtain your employment information and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Before your information can be released to a verifier, you must give your authorization. NIH employees can use Workforce Solutions - The Work Number® in two easy steps:
- Authorize the verification by completing the verifier’s (lender, bank, etc.) authorization form.
- Provide the verifier with:
- Workforce Solutions –The Work Number® access options - www.theworknumber.com or 1-800-367-5690
- HHS Employer Code: 14775
Salary Key (if needed) (A salary key is a six digit electronic signature created by the employee that is good for a one time use by a verifier)
8. Why Do I Need A myPay PIN And How Can I Get One?
It is very important to have access to your myPay (DFAS) account so that you can view your Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) each pay day to verify that the correct deductions are being withheld and that your leave balances on your LES match the balances in ITAS. You must also use myPay to make changes to your home address, TSP contributions, direct deposit of pay, allotments, Federal tax withholdings, and Open Season health benefits elections. Additionally, some state tax withholdings must be made via myPay (DFAS). If you move to or from Maryland, you must complete a state tax form for your new state and submit it to the Benefits and Payroll Liaison Branch (Bldg 31/Rm B3C23) for processing. However, for movement between other states and/or the District, you must use myPay (DFAS).
To access the system, you will need your Login and Password. If you have forgotten your Login or Password, click the “Forgot Your Login ID?” or “Forgot or Need a Password?” link on the left side of the myPay (DFAS) screen. Using this method, your Password can be e-mailed to you if you pre-registered your e-mail address, or it can be mailed to your current home address of record within 7 to 10 business days
A second option for requesting a Password is to send a fax to 216-367-3549. You will need to include in your request your name, SSN, a daytime phone number, a copy of your NIH ID Card, and you must sign the fax. Upon receiving your fax, the Defense Finance & Accounting Service (DFAS) will reset your Password using a temporary Password. Your temporary Password will be 8 numbers, the last 4 numbers of your SSN twice. You will not receive a notice from DFAS that your Password has been reset. Simply wait at least two business days before logging into myPay (DFAS) to use your temporary Password. Upon logging in, you will be prompted to reset your Password. Information pertaining to establishing an acceptable Login and Password can be obtained at myPay FAQs (DFAS).
If you encounter problems with your Login and/or Password or technical issues using myPay (DFAS), contact the DFAS Centralized Customer Support Unit toll-free at 1-888-332-7411. This support line is available Monday through Friday, 7:00 A.M. to 6:30 P.M. Eastern Standard Time. They can provide assistance on how to use the options available to you in myPay. They will also provide support for establishing and changing your Login and/or Password.
9. Where Can I Find Information On Pay And Leave?
You can find a wealth of pay and leave information on our website. Additionally, you can find information on the most frequently asked payroll questions.
Where Do I Go If I Have Questions About My Benefits?
10. How Can I Get In Touch With My Benefits Contact?
Your contact in the Benefits and Payroll Liaison Branch will be able to help you with a variety of issues pertaining to the health and life insurance programs, designating beneficiaries, the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), calculating your retirement annuity estimate, working with you to pay a redeposit for prior civilian service if you previously withdrew your retirement funds, paying a deposit for prior civilian or military service for which retirement deductions were not withheld, etc. To find your benefits contact, review our list of contacts. In addition, the Benefits and Payroll Liaison Branch (BPLB) website has an abundance of information regarding your Federal benefits.
Human resource topics not related to your benefits are normally handled by your Client Services Division HR Representative.
