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:
“Is there anything I can do now, before I retire at the end of February 2024, to prevent a five month service period under CSRS from making me subject to the Windfall Elimination Provision?
I held a temporary federal three month terminal position in 1983 which was covered by FICA, not CSRS. In 1984, I held a permanent position for five months. Apparently I was placed under CSRS since my break in service was less than a year from the 1983 federal employment. I did not work in federal position again until 2010. HR did not obtain my old records at that time (was a different agency) although I had reported the previous federal employment at that time. So, I began in FERS in 2010. HR has now obtained my old records as part of my retirement application. This is when I learned I had the five months service time under CSRS. I’m concerned the five months under CSRS could make my FERS pension subject to WEP.”
Reg’s response:
Because you had fewer than five years of coverage under CSRS, your annuity will be exclusively computed under FERS rules.
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