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Postal
Retirement Information |
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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@yahoo.com. |
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Postal
Retirement September 2011
Good
Day Postal Employees!
What a crazy month August was, with all the "changes" AND the fact
that the post office is going to the legislature to REVAMP postal
employees health benefits. I have some thoughts on that subject,
would you like me to share them.... I thought you would. The thought
is NO, NO and NO! In the USPS Talking Points of Health and Benefits
and Retirement Programs, (8-11-2011) under one of the sections, I
quote "Establish incentives to ensure that retirees and their
dependents who are Medicare eligible take full advantage of their
Medicare benefits" end of quote. WHY!? Why should we take Medicare
anyway!!???
We have the BEST health care coverage FEHB, and
why in the world would we give that up. Because we are Medicare
eligible? I think NOT. SO what if we get Medicare A for free. It
only pays the hospital, JUST THE HOSPITAL. You still need medical
coverage...and here it comes, Medicare B, which you have to pay for
monthly. Medicare B only pays 80% of the cost and you pay the other
20% (doctor visits, tests, etc.), (Medicare A does not pay that). So
you need some help with the 20%...then here comes Medicare C (gap
coverage of that 20%), yes that costs monthly as well. AND of course
you need prescription coverage....here comes Medicare D for
prescriptions, again you must pay monthly. By the time you pay all
the Medicare charges YOU SHOULDA JUST KEPT YOUR FEHB COVERAGE!!
So why do you think the push is for postal employees at age 65
to go on Medicare. Because then the post office does not have to pay
THEIR PORTION OF YOUR health benefits. For a BCBS family coverage
(Standard) (as an annuitant) the monthly premium is $431.60, and the
post office pays $875.29 monthly for that ONE employee to BCBS. So
in total, one RETIREE costs the post office nearly 900 per month.
This column is really going to piss off postal management at the
top, but what is true is true. NOW YOU KNOW WHY THEY WANT TO
"ESTABLISH AN INCENTIVE TO ENSURE THAT RETIREES WHO ARE MEDICARE
ELIGIBLE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEIR MEDICARE BENEFITS". Calming down...
I will say this, your health benefits are a BENEFIT IN RETIREMENT
that you worked your entire career for, why would you give that up!
And just one more thing while I am calm, those who write me and
quote ELM and other manuals, I am royally unnerved. If you know so
much, why are you reading my columns and challenge every little Q
and A I answer. My answers are for those individuals specifically. I
share (of course after I change details to protect the employee)
these questions so maybe that question sparks another question for
someone reading the column.
Since there is so much going on,
I thought I would dedicate part of this column to (and hope to
inspire you) on OPF Housekeeping, or eOPF housekeeping since your
files are now electronic. Many employees don't realize how important
it is to ensure your beneficiary forms are up to date and you have
ALL of them. I know many employees think of just the life insurance
beneficiary form SF 2823 as the only beneficiary form they should
have. Here are some forms YOU SHOULD HAVE!!! If you are a CSRS
employee, you need to have SF 2808, Beneficiary for CSRS Retirement
Contributions; for FERS it is SF 3102 Beneficiary FERS Retirement
Contributions. Another little known form is the SF 1153 Unpaid
Compensation (all earned annual leave and last paycheck). DID YOU
KNOW THAT A BENEFICIARY FORM TRUMPS A WILL!! If you have contributed
to TSP, you should also have TSP-3 Beneficiary Form. The TSP 3 will
not be in your eOPF, but is housed with the TSP Board.
Q
1. Hey Roseanne, I wanted to ask you a question and see if you could
answer. I am a bit concerned about the recent talk of layoffs and
job cuts. Here is my scenario. I have been a letter carrier for 28
years, this year. I transferred to an MDC and switched crafts from
NALC to APWU. As you can imagine I went from my seniority ranking of
in the high teens to the mid 100's in APWU. If there are layoffs ,
will I be considered seniority-wise my service time, or my time in
the new craft? I ask this because I also wanted to know IF I were to
get laid off or had my job cut and had was separated, what am I
looking at as far as benefits? I am in CSRS. If they cut my job,
would I get all my contributions to CSRS in a check to me? Or would
I be eligible for retirement benefits at a later age? If you could
give me what my options would be, that would be helpful and give me
some peace of mind. Also would the USPS owe me for my sick leave and
unused vacation. I currently have 1857 hours of sick leave and about
two weeks carry over of vacation. Thanks for answering a boat load
of questions!! T.
A 1. Hi T OK, lets take this apart piece by
piece. When a layoff occurs, POSTAL seniority ranks before craft
seniority. If you are compensable veteran, that too plays into who
goes where. If you are a 5 or more point veteran, then again the
ranking (of who get's laid off) changes. By just being a "craft"
employee, you have certain rights that say an EAS person does not.
By virtue of your craft (APWU) ..(ah...if you ain't, get in the
union now). SO WHAT if you don't agree with what is going on, if you
are in the union you get better information and they are more likely
to fight for you. I think, just by the fact you are CSRS, your FERS
counterparts with less time will be going first (keeping in mind the
above ranking regarding vets). If they abolish your job, as a CRAFT
employee, they will put you somewhere else. You may not like the job
or you may have to travel further, but you will have a job. DO NOT
DO ANYTHING STUPID LIKE QUIT.. ride it out. You are CSRS and you
must have at least 28 years...ride it out. If it does hit the fan,
you have options. You are OLD MONEY...meaning CSRS.
Don't let
the hype scare you out. As far as your $$ in the CSRS fund, the
amount you put in, would be the amount you could withdraw (if you
resign.... but don't don't don't), and you would NOT be entitled to
what the USPS put in the CSRS fund in your behalf. Ride it out....if
they are going to rid themselves of 120,000 employees, it has to be
according to regulations and you being CSRS should be OK. Your sick
leave is converted to years and months increasing your total federal
time, which is how your annuity is calculated. Your annual leave is
paid the following two weeks after your last check, or with your
last paycheck. Remember it will be the earned annual leave. Chill,
you are CSRS, and yea, they want CSRS employees to retire BADLY,
because you cost the USPS approximately 5% more than a FERS employee
(as it relates to retirement). I think if they are in the dire
straits as they say, then I predict another early out will
come....NOTICE I did NOT say with incentive, but an early out. You
should be able to retire fairly soon if you are a CSRS employee.
Q A 1 Response: Thanks for the info Roseanne, I will not quit
under any circumstances. If they do offer an early out do you think
that they would wave the penalty? If they would just give me the
years and my 62% I would go. As I am only 50 next month I would get
8 percent deducted for retiring five years before 55 right. They
would have to add one year onto my time because of accumulated sick
leave. Of Do you think I would be more susceptible to being axed by
the USPS if I took an EAS job? My thoughts on moving to EAS is that
if I decided to stay till my 41 11 I would only be 63 and would get
my 80%. That's still pretty young isn't it and that would only make
me work another 13 years. The fact is I don't think my body will
last another 13 as a craft worker. And if I do go over to EAS I
think I could get to a level 23 in the next 13 years. That would
really jump up my high 3. You know they ALWAYS Would they be trying
to get me out because I am CSRS? I am not a veteran by the way. I
would join the APWU but I have to stay in the NALC because I have
their HB. NALC, unlike APWU, makes you pay full dues even if you
aren't in the craft to retain the HB. I am going to switch over next
year to APWU plan or BCBS. I will have to compare. Let me know of
any other things that may come to mind. Thanks again T.
Q A 1
Return Response: First going to an EAS position is risky because you
don't have the 6 yr layoff protection any longer and most folks
don't know that. This is a risky time to do that, although it would
give you a higher 3. I KNOW EAS folks that have been axed, because
they did not want to go to another job, in another state, or take a
lower grade, or simply because there were no other positions in
their district to go to. So it does happen. You can join the APWU.
You can be in two unions at the same time...you only are in NALC
now, because you have their Health Benefits. As far as your
questions about retirement, OPM ranks above postal rules for
retirement, even early out retirements are in the control of OPM
criteria. When doing an early out they have to abide by early out
criteria set forth by OPM, which is the governing body of all
federal agencies (as it relates to HR). Which means that they are
NOT going to wave a penalty. I hope I have helped clear up a few
misunderstandings. Roseanne
Q 2. Roseanne, I am a CSRS with
40 yrs. Could you inform me on the minimum election for spouse
survivorship that will provide my wife with FEHB? She will be
covered with another life insurance policy. Thank You, DS.
A
2. Hi D, As long as you give her 55% of $3600.00 per year, which
equates to 1980 per year OR $ 165.00 per month, ensures that she
will be able to take your health benefits into retirement should you
pass away, AND that $3600., will not reduce your CSRS annuity.
Roseanne
Till next time when we talk...Oh, and trust
me, if I get ANY flack from this column, I will BE SURE to let
everyone know. Roseanne |
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