The following is a question submitted by a reader to Federal Times columnist Reg Jones, a charter member of the senior executive service and the resident expert on federal employee retirement issues.
A Fed Times reader asks:
“I am a FERS employee, age 58 with 35 years of service. Could I retire and receive the FERS supplement until age 62? What are the pros and cons of doing so?”
Reg’s response:
Yes, you can retire and receive the FERS special retirement supplement until age 62. There is only one “pro” and no “con” to doing that.
By law you are entitled to receive both your annuity and the SRS, which represents the amount of Social Security benefit you earned while a FERS employee. At age 62 the supplement will end and you’ll begin receiving a Social Security benefit based on all your years of Social Security-covered employment.
Got a question for the Federal Times expert? Send inquiries to: fedexperts@federaltimes.com.
Reg Jones, a charter member of the senior executive service, is our resident expert on retirement and the federal government. From 1979 to '95, he served as an assistant director of the Office of Personnel Management handling recruiting and examining, white and blue collar pay, retirement, insurance and other issues. Opinions expressed are his own.
