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Can the FERS Supplement for a Spouse be Lost?

If an employee remains retired but the spouse works and makes more than 15k, does the FERS supplement drop out?

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Q: I am searching for a detail on the FERS Special Retirement Supplement – I understand that the employee loses some or all of the benefit once they retire if they return to work before reaching age 62. My question concerns the effect of a working spouse on the benefit – if the employee remains retired but the spouse works and makes more than 15k, does the supplement drop out?

A: No. It’s only your earnings.

Agencies can request to have John Grobe, or another of Federal Career Experts' qualified instructors, deliver a retirement or transition seminar to their employees. FCE instructors are not financial advisers and will not sell or recommend financial products to class participants. Agency Benefits Officers can contact John Grobe at [email protected] to discuss schedules and costs.
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About the Author

John Grobe is President of Federal Career Experts, a firm that provides pre-retirement training and seminars to a wide variety of federal agencies. FCE’s instructors are all retired federal retirement specialists who educate class participants on the ins and outs of federal retirement and benefits; there is never an attempt to influence participants to invest a certain way, or to purchase any financial products. John and FCE specialize in retirement for special category employees, such as law enforcement officers.