Social Security Benefits for FERS Retirees

FERS Retirees Are Eligible to Collect Social Security and a Supplement if They Retire Early.

FERS employees who retire After their Minimum Retirement Age (MRA) with 30 years of service will receive a Special Retirement Supplement which is paid as an annuity until you reach age 62 and become eligible for Social Security.

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• Social Security Program
• Special Supplement - Retiring before age 62
  • How to Calculate YOUR Supplement
• Impact on earnings after you retire
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Social Security programs provide:

• Monthly benefits if you are retired and have reached at least age 62, and monthly benefits during your retirement for your spouse and dependents if they are eligible;
• Monthly benefits if you become totally disabled for gainful employment and benefits for your spouse and dependents if they are eligible during your disability;
• Monthly benefits for your eligible survivors; and
• A lump sum benefit upon your death.

To become eligible for benefits, you and your family must meet different sets of requirements for each type of benefit. An underlying condition of payment of most benefits is that you have paid Social Security taxes for the required period of time.

The amount of monthly benefits you receive is based on three fundamental factors:

• Average earnings upon which you have paid Social Security taxes, which are adjusted over the years for changes in average earnings of the American work force;
• Family composition (for example, whether you have a spouse or dependent child who may be eligible for benefits); and
• Consumer Price Index (CPI) changes that occur after you become entitled to benefits.

Benefits are subject to individual and family maximums.

Special Retirement Supplement  

If you retire with a FERS supplement and go back to work in retirement your supplement is subject to the same Social Security earnings rules. The earnings limit for workers who are younger than "full" retirement age (see Full Retirement Age Chart) will increase to $22,320. (Social Security deducts $1 from benefits for each $2 earned over $22,320.)

The earnings limit for people reaching their “full” retirement age in 2024 will increase to $59,520.  CSRS employees that worked 40 quarters or more in the private sector and collect Social Security at age 62 are also subject to these same income limitations until they reach full retirement age, currently age 66. 

Calculating the Social Security Supplement

To estimate your Social Security Supplement use the Free CSRS and FERS Retirement Software available from Decision Support Software. The software includes an easy-to-use supplement calculator and integrates the supplement into your overall federal retirement analysis.   

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