Ss Payback By Govt Employee

[jim n ok]

ok,i got my 70 percent and was told i should retire from my govt position by my civilian shrink. went to personnel and was told i need to payback my service time to ss while i was in military,,,,that's news to me. so i sent off to get my earnings and i earned $18,000 in 5 years total..wow. today i was told that with interest and penalties that i wil owe the govt..guess???? $18,000.

i have already paid 42 quarters through the years and was never told i owed ss any money.

i am retiring on a medical from the govt,why are they making me pay back more money than i earned in my military careeer? anyone know?

[donnieragsdale]

I agree with Sharon's answer. It only has to do with your Federal Retirement and is optional.

I was disability retired under FERS.

I, within the first three years of employment with the feds, bought back my 6 years of active duty service to be applied to my total years of federal service. Total years of federal employment is one of the factors used to calculate your federal retirement benefit.

I had earned a little over 22,000 and it cost 3% to buy back.

[jim n ok]

i am on a program called "offset" both fers and csrs.it's very confusing. am trying to get a medical retirement.

[mike 19-7]

jim, why would you need to pay back SS? I'm not understanding this. Were you overpaid? As with any government overpayment you can request a hardship waiver. Who did you work for?

pr

You must be working for the Post Service.

[jim n ok]

i actually am a civil service employee working for the airforce.

[Ricky]

The buy back is optional as has already been stated. At this point you will have to sit down with a retirement counsler at the AF base and discuss the benefit to you. It should not be of any immediate benefit as you are applying for a medical retirement and the formula used for medical retirement is a straight percentage of your current salary. It could mean a few dollars more when you hit 60 something (your normal retirement age) and your disability converts to regular FERS retirement.