Is Military Time Creditable Towards the FERS Multiplier?

Does 3 years of Military Time that was “bought back”along with 17 years of civilian Federal Service count toward 20 years of creditable service making one eligible for a FERS 1.1% multiplier if that person retires after age 62?

Q: Does 3 years of Military Time that was “bought back”along with 17 years of civilian Federal Service count toward 20 years of creditable service making one eligible for a FERS 1.1% multiplier if that person retires after age 62?

My wife, a VA employee, was told in a retirement seminar at the VA that her 3 yrs of Military Time were not creditable for the FERS 1.1 multiplier.

A: Military service for which a deposit has been made will count toward the 20 years of service required to get the higher 1.1% annuity factor.

The CSRS and FERS Handbook for Personnel and Payroll Offices states that the higher factor applies to “employees who are at least age 62 at the date of separation and have at least 20 years of total creditable service.” If civilian service was the only service that counted toward the 20 years required for this benefit, that qualifier would have been included in this statement.

Perhaps this was confused with a discussion of service creditable toward the amount of the FERS Special Retirement Supplement. Military service performed before FERS coverage began cannot be included in the computation of the Supplement.

About the Author

Ehren Clovis retired from federal service after a career as a Benefits Specialist. She dealt with the employees of many federal agencies, and acquired broad knowledge and experience with federal benefits, including the special retirement provisions for federal Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs). Now she presents retirement and benefits training for federal employees through Federal Career Experts, Inc., and counsels individual clients through her home business, Federal Benefits On Call.