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Information on this page is provided by Roseanne Jefferson.
Roseanne is a retired USPS employee with an extensive background in USPS
retirement, disability retirement, OWCP, EEO, Labor Relations and HR.
She conducts individual and group counseling and is able to
comprehensively discuss the pros and cons of employees who are on OWCP,
disability retirement and regular retirement. Roseanne will be happy
to answer your postal retirement questions. Contact Roseanne at
roseanne.jefferson@icloud.com. |
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Postal Retirement
Q&A April 2013 |
Good Day Postal Employees!! This
month's column will have mostly Q &
A's as the format. I have been in Ohio
for the past couple of weeks with
serious family illness. I would like
to sent a big "THANK YOU" to the
Euclid Post Office (OH) for being so
concerned and helpful with a piece of
Express Mail, that I needed by 11:35
am. It was guaranteed for 10:00 am, &
I was at the Post Office when they
opened. They actually put up with me
standing there in lobby (in tears),
for over an hour waiting on this
express mail, all without thinking I
was deranged. And of course, many
thanks to the Whitsett Post Office
(NC) for their assistance in this
family crisis.
To those of you
that have written me this month, I
know I have not been my NORMAL speedy
responder, or have a "limitation of
explanation" in my responses. Life has
a way of throwing you curve balls when
you least expect it�my husband calls
them "variables". Our 40 year old
daughter has stage 3 breast cancer,
and nothing has been normal since we
had the news. So my time has been
between there and here. And for those
of you who wrote me..the responses
were really difficult to "type" on
just an iPhone. If it made no sense in
my response to you, email me again and
I will try to give more than an
abbreviated answer. Again, I am
learning a new normal of being
prepared. I would humbly request that
you would keep my family in your
prayers during this very difficult
time, we �.really appreciate it!
Q 1. I would like to point
out an error you made on your report
for march 2013; you said � ...second
letter from OPM with the CSA or CSF
number depending if employee was CSRS
or FERS�...the issue is a CSF number
is only issued to a survivor. I point
this out because people are quoting
you. MC
A 1. Hi MC,
First thank you for reading the
column! AND thank you for pointing out
my error and choice of words. After I
read your email, I went back to look
to see what I wrote and THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR POINTING THAT OUT. In my
answer to the reader (which is what I
take copy and paste into the
newsletter) that answer had a
continuation. In doing the cut & paste
change the arrangement of the words,
changed and some were gone, as in the
case that CSF is for the survivor.
I say this to say..I am all about
giving the right information, postal
employees get too much BS and bad
information and have for years, that I
try to give them what is correct. I am
grateful if someone finds something
that they think is incorrect�.because
doing this over 30 years, I have come
to know when someone tells you
something that they think is wrong,
it's best to recheck and not be so "I
know what I am talking about" because
things change quickly in regulations;
sometimes that everyone does not have
the access to see or was not explained
enough for the reader to understand.
My retired postmaster husband tells me
all the time, that I assume too much,
in terms of what I think everyone
"should already know" just by being a
postal employee. Many times when we
both worked I would say "how in the
world would you NOT know this, you are
EAS/Management"�his reply was
typically..I am not supposed to know
that, you are�you are HR,. my job is
to get my employees out on the street
with no accidents and mail delivered
on time�with a few other words
"sprinkled" in there :). So MC YOU
MADE the column for next month. Of
course this will let everyone know
that was not the complete information
and will set that straight. Believe
me, I do appreciate this email. Keep
reading my friend!! Roseanne
Q 2. Hey Roseanne, I read your
column on Postalmag.com. I am planning
on retiring at the end of 2013 or
beginning of January 2014. I am a CSRS
employee, start date 01/1979. I am 66
years old, and started collecting Soc
Sec benefits beginning January 2013. I
want to have 35 years of service when
I retire. I have right now about 2
months of sick leave on the books (370
hours). I have a couple of questions
that I can't seem to find out answers
to. I am a Dist/window clerk. Recently
promoted to Lead Clerk. I had 8 years
of part time service from January 1979
until sometime in 1986 while I was
working in KY. I worked in Louisiana
Post Office before attaining full time
status in LA. If I understand
correctly, the part time status in the
Kentucky will be credited as full time
because it happened before the law
changed in 1986, Is that correct?
Most of my ptf s hours were more
than 40 hours per week...especially in
Louisiana.
1) As
I am collecting my full SS benefit now
while I am still working, I can't seem
to find out when that amount will
drop, and about what percent of my SS
benefit will I be able to collect as a
CSRS retiree when I am retired. Does
the amount become less when I turn in
my retirement papers, or the effective
date of my retirement.??
2) Is it better to have your sick
leave added to your retirement time or
use before leaving the service. I have
right now about 2 months worth of sick
time credited to me(370 hours). By the
time I leave at the end of 2013 or
early 2014 I will have approx. 100
more hours if I use a minimum of my
S/L during this year (dr appts).
3) will the part
times hours I worked be credited for
retirement as the number of hours I
worked (mostly over 40 hours) (I know
I don't get overtime credited to
retirement) or just because I was part
time do I get a lesser amount of $$
for the time I was in Part time
status?
4)
Should I leave and retire at the end
of December 2013 (chart says Dec 29th
is best day to retire) under CSRS or
should I wait for the first three days
of January to leave? Most papers say
that CSRS should retire the first 3
days of the month. Since my
anniversary date if January 27th, do I
need to leave after that date or will
my 2 months of sick time count to make
my 35 years of service. Sorry, these
may seem to be dumb questions, but I
can't seem to find the answers to them
anywhere. SG
A. 2 Hi SG, No question is dumb! When
we are looking at retirement and our
money and this being the probable last
big financial decision we are going to
make, you need to be armed with as
much information as possible.
OPM is the deciding entity that
will review your pay records (that are
forwarded from Eagan, MN when you
retire). There are calculations that
are applied to the years of service
seeing the percentage of full time
versus part time and of course how
many hours worked as a part time
employee. All of it is credible and
calculated. NOW!!! on question number
1. YOUR SS CHECK is going to be
reduced DRAMATICALLY!! when you
retire. It just is�I know you don't
like this�.nor does my husband! But
when you have a CSRS retirement check,
due to the Windfall Elimination,
Social Security is reduced by about
40%, so expect a reduction when you
retire. On question 2, you have enough
sick leave really as a "protection".
The amount that you have won't
seriously increase your annuity, but
it is not going to be lost either. So
if you need it USE IT, but don't just
waste it, as it is added to the
overall retirement. Again, it's not
enough to worry about "keeping" if you
really need it. Question 3 was pretty
much answered above. Question 4. My
advice would be to retire on Jan 3.
WHY? First because you can retire up
to the 3rd of the month (as a CSRS
ONLY!!!) and still be eligible for an
annuity in January�but the 3rd is a
Friday and gives you 1/2 of pay
earning 2 hours of sick leave and 4
hours of annual. Understand when I say
Jan 3 or even if it were Dec 31st..it
does not mean that you MUST BE AT WORK
THOSE DAYS!! You can use annual or
sick leave (in case you did not know).
I do Air Mail retirements for those
employees who are no where near me (in
North Carolina); many from HQ just
drive down to see me, and in the cases
that I have done, so many even after
reading the annuity estimate and
review the blue retirement booklet
feel like a deer in headlights.
However if you are interested in me
doing your retirement, please let me
know and I will send you the
information. I have done for many
across the country, so I know it can
be confusing and very intimidating. I
hope this information has helped you
understand a bit more. Roseanne
Q 3. Hi, I worked for the Post
Office in one of the borough's in New
York for about 3 months during
probation, in which I was cut a couple
of days early of making the Union
because they said they only needed one
guy at the time which I thought was
bull, but it's in the past. This
happened about 12 years ago my
question is while I was working there
I filled out pension forms & was
wondering can I get back what I put in
during those 3 months I was there ?
And if I do, who do I call to receive
these funds ? Sincerely, MO
A 3. Hi MO, It very much depends
on if you were "actually a career
employee" during that probationary
period. Many times employees called
Transitional's or TE's were hired,
that HAD a probationary period
associated with that occupation code
BUT were NOT considered "CAREER" which
is the optimum word that "tells the
whole story"� Many District office's
all around the country did kinda their
own thing on certain hiring issues,
based on what "AREA" they reported to,
told them to do�.so it really depends.
If I had not been doing this for so
long, I would look at the question and
say "3 months probation..career to me"
and then answer. But from what I see
even the offices that had district
personnel offices (basically
forever�or pre-HRSSC) were staffed
many times with the "good ole girls or
good ole boys", (who really didn't
know jackshit about Personnel) because
it always seemed HR was an easy drop
off place (or hiding place) when they
put an EAS employee on "blast" or
"punishment", or some funky assignment
that screams�.I PISSED SOMEONE OFF !
But it is worth a try, if you think
you were career, then contact OPM at
1-888-767-6738 or go to the website
opm.gov to see the forms. If you go to
opm.gov go to "forms", then "standard
forms", then SF 3106 and follow the
instructions on the form. If you have
any money, and it really couldn't be
much, but if you did, OPM would refund
it, and bottom line, it's yours.
Roseanne
FOLLOW UP TO
THIS QUESTION�.BY ME..ROSEANNE� YOU
all could not have possibly thought
that what I said in answer # 3, was
frivolous or untrue about EAS
employee's being on "punishment" or
blast, or even the famous "dipshit
assignment" ..then you don't know any
EAS employees, that's all. YEP�.I
could tell ya stories, upon stories,
upon stories!!!!!��but back to the Q
and A's.
Q 4. Hi
Roseanne, Just read your Q & A that I
always wait for each month. Even
though husband just retired on Jan 31,
you will always be a fountain of good
information! You've always have helped
us with questions we had before (old
email address), I am his wife.
Just wanted to give you his
timeline in case you were interested.
As another example per say.
Jan 31 - Retired
Feb 19 - Full Terminal Check received
(456 hours)
Feb 25 -
Letter from OPM with Claim # (separate
from password letter)
Feb 25 - Letter from OPM with Password
(separate from claim # envelope)
Feb 26 - Letter from OPM regarding
Interim Payment, the gross amt, less
taxes, and the amt to be deposited
(From 2-01 thru 2/30)
March 1 - First retirement check
deposited!!
He got
approx 78% of my estimated retirement
amount. So far so good!! I too read
postalmag blog & am hearing different
stories.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We have a question that I think a
lot of us are concerned about. Just
wanted your thoughts. The PMG wants to
pull us all out out FEHB. Including
current retirees. Someone mentioned
that he said specifically stated
current retirees several times in his
address or statement to congress. He
wants us too! What do you think the
chances of that happening are? We are
very concerned. I, as a contractor
work for several companies, I hear all
the time how the employer has changed
the health care plan & the employees
rates, family rates have skyrocketed
when they were told by the employer it
would be better for them. One company
I go to - actually took away the
Kaiser Permanente HMO Plan that many
of these employees of lower wages
really liked & felt it the costs were
very reasonable. I just don't see how
taking us out of FEHB will benefit
anyone but the USPS. I appreciate your
thoughts if you get the time. I know
you are in high demand:):) IJ
A 4. Hi I, EXCELLENT!! I just love
when my information bears out. When I
wrote the time line that is in the
column, I extend it out a bit. For
each answer sometimes comes a
"specific" date, based upon when the
employee mails the retirement
paperwork to HRSSC (that plays an
enormous part in the time line dates).
Based upon what you have written and
the dates of your husband's letters
and money from OPM, that tells me the
paperwork was in TIMELY!
Now on to the question of FEHB and
the PMG wanting to pull the MONEY plug
on FEHB. There is a huge difference
between the PO and just another
employer, as PO is a federal
organization as you related one
company took away Kaiser HMO. That
being said, the number of federal
retirees (postal or other fed agency)
have their "employing agency" paying a
large part (nearly 2/3rds) of the
health premium to the carrier (BCBS;
APWU: GEHA etc) each month.
In
the case of the PO, they have to pay
that monthly premium 10 years in
advance. So�take BCBS for an example
(104); the cost to the PO when that
person retires is about $110 thousand
UP FRONT, whereas other federal
agencies pay it monthly. This is the
BITCH of the post office, and I can
understand it, but I also understand
other surrounding issues of it that
makes it not so horrible�meaning when
folks turn 65, many just take Medicare
Part B (because they think it's going
to be cheaper than FEHB (and it is)
but the coverage is no where like
FEHB) and then cancel the FEHB, and
then the PO has a "CREDIT" of the
money paid in advance. I say all that
to say�right now I am NOT worried
about it�BUT WHEN AND IF I DO WORRY,
YOU CAN BEST BELIEVE I WILL BE
"ATTACKING IT" IN MY COLUMN. You guys
have a great and wonderful retirement,
if he has gotten there, he like many
of us, has the battle scars to prove
it�and it is well deserved. Take care
I, Roseanne
Q 5. Hi
Roseanna, I retired Jan. 31, 2013.
Then 2 weeks later I received my last
paycheck I picked up at PO. They
didn't have my 39 hours of annual on
it. It is now March 10, 2013 still no
annual. My question is whom do I
contact about it or will it go to PO
where I last worked? Thank you so much
for your column every month. I really
appreciate it a lot. Thank you!! F
A 5. Hi F, Your final "earned"
annual leave check should be at your
"employing" post office by now. I
would call your former immediate
supervisor /postmaster /manager/ OR
even the timekeeping office, just to
see if your check has come in. Again,
understand that you are no longer
employed by USPS. That means any
monies owed to you will be a check
that you have to pick up or be mailed
- It will not be deposited into your
account, as there is no longer an
electronic connectivity between you
and the post office. Roseanne
Q 6. Hi Roseanne, Myself and two
co-workers attended a Retirement
"session" at BIG SOUTHERN STATE a few
months ago. We knew the guy was
selling insurance, but we thought we
would at least go and see what he
would tell us. Much to our surprise we
were the only three in the room! But
then several clerks came in and he had
to switch his attention to them
because of their VERA. When he did
talk to us he quickly mentioned
something about a supplement until 62
if we retired at 56 with 30 years
service. How does this work? Two of us
are eligible for full Social Security
benefits at 67 and not 62. And we are
all FERS. (1) Age 51 w/26 yrs; (2) Age
51 w/28 yrs; (3) Age 60 W/26 yrs.
Thank you so much for any help. D
A 6. Hi D, If you are FERS employee's:
1. The Special Supplement is a
"bridge" of money paid to (only FERS)
to "supplement) a portion of the
Social Security that you are not
eligible for until 62)). AND 2. The
supplement is calculated at around
$33.00 per month X the numbers of
years worked (not including military
regardless if paid back or not). So if
you retire w/20 yrs. the Spec Support
is around $660.00 per month; 30 yrs.
around $990.00 per month. THIS IS PAID
ONLY UNTIL AGE 62!!!! Then you are to
begin to collect your Social Security
checks. I hope this has helped all you
girls in "the peachy land". I have had
several clients drive from there to
meet for a one on one face to face
individual retirement session....
think about it! Roseanne
Till we speak
again����.Roseanne |
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