The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) works with your Agency's personnel and payroll offices to process your retirement application. There are actions your personnel and payroll offices must take in order to process your retirement application.. You can help reduce delays in processing by submitting your retirement application at least thirty days in advance of your separation date. However, your personnel office may want you to submit your application even earlier than thirty days before separation. Additionally, it may be helpful to ensure your Official Personnel Folder is complete and reflects your entire service history. By submitting your paperwork early, your personnel and payroll offices can complete their actions as soon as possible after your retirement date.

There are multiple types of retirements, and they are listed below:

Voluntary Retirement

Voluntary Retirement – The most common type of retirement. Eligibility is primarily based upon age and the number of years of creditable service at retirement.

Early Retirement

Early Retirement – Although this type of retirement is similar to Voluntary Retirement, , there are different age and service requirements, and the annuity may begin at an earlier age than a Voluntary Retirement. Early Retirement provisions often have other special requirements.

Disability Retirement

Disability Retirement –Disability Retirement has specific medical requirements and service requirements. Disability Retirement also has a different annuity computation than Voluntary Retirement.

Deferred Retirement

Deferred Retirement – Former Federal employees who were covered by the FERS may be eligible for a deferred annuity at age 62 or the Minimum Retirement Age.

Phased Retirement

Phased Retirement – In Phased Retirement status the retiring employee works on a part-time basis for a limited period. During that time, the employee’s pay is split between employee pay and annuity payments. The employee also continues to receive additional service credit towards full retirement.

When to Consider Applying for Disability Retirement

You should consider applying for disability retirement only after you have provided your employing agency with complete documentation of your medical condition and your agency has exhausted all reasonable attempts to provide you with a reasonable accommodation or reassignment in which you can render useful and efficient service.

Eligibility Requirements

You must meet all the following conditions to be eligible for disability retirement:

• You must have completed at least 18 months of Federal civilian service creditable under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS).
• You must, while employed in a position subject to the retirement system, have become disabled, because of disease or injury, for useful and efficient service in your current position.
• Your disability must be expected to last at least one year.
• Your agency must certify that it is unable to accommodate your disabling medical condition in your present position and that it has considered you for any vacant position in the same agency, at the same grade or pay level, and within the same commuting area for which you are qualified for reassignment.
• You, or your guardian or other interested person, must apply before your separation from service or within one year thereafter. The application must be received by either OPM or your former employing agency within one year of the date of your separation. OPM may not waive the time limit for filing an application unless you were mentally incompetent on the date of separation or within one year of this date.
• Application for disability retirement under FERS requires an application for Social Security benefits. If the application for social security disability benefits is withdrawn for any reason, OPM will dismiss the FERS disability retirement application upon notification by the Social Security Administration.

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Applying for FERS Disability Retirement

You must complete the following forms:

• SF 3107, Application for Immediate Retirement, and
• SF 3112, Documentation In Support of Disability Retirement
• If you are under age 62, documentation that you have applied for social security disability benefits after you separated from your agency.

If you have been separated from Federal service for 31 days or less

Your employing agency will help you complete these forms and will forward the completed forms to OPM. However, it is your responsibility to obtain all the information necessary for OPM to make a decision on your claim. This includes providing all the required forms and documents necessary to apply and for purposes of providing evidence in support of your application for FERS disability retirement.

If you have been separated from Federal service for more than 31 days

Your application for disability retirement must be received by OPM within one year after the date of your separation. If you have been separated from Federal service for more than 31 days, your former employing agency may no longer have your personnel records and may not be able to recover them in time to process your disability retirement application and submit it to OPM within the one-year time limit. If this is the case, you should submit your application directly to OPM rather than to your agency.

U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Retirement Operations Center
Post Office Box 45
Boyers, PA 16017

• Ask your former supervisor and employing agency to complete SF 3112B, SF 3112D and SF 3112E and give them to you so you can send them to OPM.
• If you think you will not have the completed package in time to meet the one-year time limit, send OPM the completed SF 3107 and SF 3112A, along with the name, address, and telephone number of the person(s) you have asked to complete the remaining forms.

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Periodic Medical Exams to Keep Your Disability Benefit

When OPM approves your application for disability retirement, we may determine that based on your medical condition you will need to periodically provide us with current medical information to retain eligibility for disability benefits.

Paying for Periodic Medical Exams

You are responsible for paying for any medical exams that are needed. If you do not fulfill the request for evidence of your continuing disability, OPM will suspend your annuity payments until you have established your continued eligibility for a FERS disability annuity.

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Changing Your Retirement to Disability Retirement

You can submit an application for disability retirement within one year after your separation from employment provided you did not elect the alternative form of annuity with a lump sum payment equal to your retirement contributions. You and your former employing agency must submit evidence that shows you became disabled while employed in a position subject to FERS coverage, and you and your agency must provide evidence that you were unable to perform useful and efficient service because of disease or injury in the position from which you retired. Your former agency will also have to certify that it could not reasonably accommodate your condition. Moreover, you must not have declined a reasonable offer of reassignment to a vacant position in the commuting area at the same grade or pay level and tenure.

If you decide to receive a disability retirement instead of an immediate retirement, you will not be entitled to a FERS annuity supplement. This supplement is not payable to individuals who retire under disability retirement provisions.

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Termination of FERS Disability Benefit

If you are under age 60, your benefit will stop in these circumstances:

• You are found to be medically recovered from your disabling condition;
• In any calendar year you have been restored to earning capacity. You will be restored to earning capacity if your income from wages and self-employment is at least 80 percent of the current rate of basic pay from the position you occupied immediately before retirement; or
• You are reemployed in the Federal service in a position equivalent to the position you held at retirement (also called “administratively recovered”).

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Reinstatement of Disability Benefit if it Stops

• If your disability benefit stopped because you were found recovered either medically or administratively, your benefit can resume only if the disability recurs and you do not exceed the 80 percent earnings limitation.
• If your disability stopped because you exceeded the earnings limitation, your benefit can resume effective the first of the year after you no longer exceed the 80 percent earnings limit.

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Disability Retirement Computation

FERS disability benefits are computed in different ways depending on the annuitant’s age and amount of service at retirement, as described below. In addition, FERS disability retirement benefits are recomputed after the first twelve months of entitlement and again at age 62, if the annuitant is under age 62 at the time of disability retirement.

FERS Annual Unreduced Disability Computation if you are

• Age 62 or older at retirement, or
• Meet the age and service requirements for immediate voluntary retirement

You receive your “earned” annuity based on the general FERS annuity computation, as follows

Age	Formula
If age 62 or older at retirement with less than 20 years of service, or	1 percent of your high-3 average salary for each year of service
Under age 62 qualified for an immediate voluntary retirement
If age 62 or older with 20 or more years of service	1.1 percent of your high-3 average salary for each year of service

Example 1-Age 62 or older at retirement with less than 20 years of service:

High 3 Average Salary-$90,000

Service-18

1% x $90,000 x 18 = $16,200 (annual amount)

$16,200 / 12 = $1,350 per month

*note this example does not account for any reductions (survivor annuity, etc.…)

Example 2-Age 62 or Older at Separation with 20 or More Years of Service:

High 3 Average Salary-$90,000

Service-20

1.1% x $90,000 x 20 = $19,800 (annual amount)

$19,800 / 12 = $1,650 per month

*note this example does not account for any reductions (survivor annuity, etc.…)

FERS Annual Unreduced Disability Computation if you are

• Under age 62 at retirement, and
• Not eligible for immediate voluntary retirement

Under Age 62	Formula
For the first 12 months	60% of your high-3 average salary minus 100% of your Social security benefit for any month in which you are entitled to Social Security benefits However, you are entitled to your “earned” annuity, if it is larger than this amount.
After the first 12 months	40% of your high-3 average salary minus 60% of your Social Security benefit for any month in which you are entitled to Social Security disability benefits. However, you are entitled to your “earned” annuity, if it is larger than this amount.
When you reach age 62 your annuity will be recomputed using an amount that essentially represents the annuity you would have received if you had continued working until the day before your 62nd birthday and then retired under FERS.	If your actual service, plus the credit for time as a disability annuitant equals less than 20 years:: 1 percent of your high-3 average salary for each year of service If your actual service, plus the credit for time as a disability annuitant equals 20 or more years: 1.1 percent of your high-3 average salary for each year of service Total Service used in the computation: will be increased by the amount of time you have received a disability annuity Average Salary used in the computation: will be increased by all FERS cost-of-living increases paid during the time you received a disability annuity.

Note: Disability annuities for individuals who performed service in an enhanced position such as law enforcement officer, firefighter, nuclear materials courier, air traffic controller, Capitol Police, or Supreme Court Policy will be credited at the higher 1.7% for that service.

Example 1-Under age 62 First Year of Annuity:

High 3 Average Salary-$90,000

Annual SSA Benefit-$22,000

60% of High 3 Average Salary – 100% SSA Benefit

$54,000 (60% x $90,000) - $22,000 (SSA Annual) = $32,000 / 12 = $2,666 per month

*note this example does not account for any reductions (survivor annuity, etc…).

Example 2-Age 62 or Older at Separation with 20 or More Years of Service:

High 3 Average Salary-$90,000

Annual SSA Benefit-$22,000

40% of High 3 Average Salary – 60% SSA Benefit

$36,000 (40% x $90,000) - $13,200 (60% x $22,000) = $22,800 / 12 = $1,900 per month

*note this example does not account for any reductions (survivor annuity, etc.…)

Example 3-Recomputation at Age 62:

High 3 Average Salary-$98,950 (original average salary increased by all FERS COLAs paid during the time the disability annuity as paid

Service time - 5 years

Total time on disability annuity rolls-7 years 6 months

Total adjusted service for recomputation-12 years 6 months

1% x $98,950 x 12.5 = $12,368.75 / 12 = $1,030 per month

*note this example does not account for any reductions (survivor annuity, etc.…)

*If your actual service plus the credit for the time you are on the disability annuity rolls equals 20 or more years, the formula will use 1.1% of your High 3 Average Salary

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Reductions in Disability Annuity

Survivor Benefits

If you are married, your benefit will be reduced for a survivor benefit, unless your spouse consented to your election of less than a full survivor annuity. If the total of the survivor benefit(s) you elect equals 50% of your benefit, your annuity is reduced by 10%. If the total equals 25%, the reduction is 5%.

Unpaid Service if “earned” annuity paid

If you have a CSRS component in your annuity, the CSRS portion of your benefit will be reduced by 10% of any deposit owed for CSRS non-deduction service performed before October 1, 1982, unless the deposit was paid before retirement.

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Cost of Living Adjustments for FERS Disability Retiree

If you are under age 62, and your annuity was computed using 60% of your high-3 average salary, COLAs are not payable for the first 12 months of entitlement. COLAs which occur after this 12-month period are payable. If you are age 62 at retirement or if you meet the age and service requirements for an immediate FERS annuity, all cost-of-living adjustments occurring after the commencing date of annuity are payable.

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Entitlement to Other Benefits-Effect on FERS Disability Benefit

Social Security Benefits

If you are under age 62 and your annuity benefits were computed using either 60% or 40% of your high-3 average salary, the Office of Personnel Management will reduce your monthly annuity by all or a portion of your Social Security benefits. While you are receiving an annuity using the 60% computation, OPM must reduce your monthly annuity by 100% of any Social Security disability benefit to which you are entitled. While you are receiving an annuity computed using the 40% computation, your monthly annuity will be reduced by 60% of any Social Security disability benefit to which you are entitled. This reduction only applies for months in which you are concurrently entitled to both FERS and Social Security benefits.

Receipt of disability benefits from the Office of Personnel Management and total or partial disability benefits from the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) at the same time

Generally, you must decide whether the FERS disability benefit or the OWCP benefit is most advantageous for you and then make an election to be paid one benefit instead of the other. If you decide you want to receive OWCP benefits, payments from OPM will be suspended. However, if your OWCP benefits stop, you can submit a request to OPM to begin your FERS disability benefit. In most cases, you must elect between FERS disability benefits and OWCP. However, you can receive an OWCP “Scheduled Award” and OPM benefits at the same time. Contact OPM to tell us if you are awarded workers' compensation benefits to see if you need to make an election between benefits.

Contact OWCP for additional information about workers' compensation benefits.

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Early Optional Retirement

If your agency undergoes a major reorganization, reduction in force, or transfer of function, and a significant percentage of the employees will be separated, or will be reduced in pay, the head of your agency may ask the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for a Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA), allowing early optional retirement for eligible employees. If your agency receives approval to permit early optional retirements, eligible employees will be notified of their option to retire early. Early optional retirement has different age and service requirements than voluntary retirement (see eligibility requirement below).

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Discontinued Service Retirement Because of an Involuntary Separation

A discontinued service retirement provides an immediate annuity for employees who are separated involuntarily. Discontinued service retirement has different age and service requirements than voluntary retirement (see eligibility requirement below). The term “involuntary separation” means any separation against the will and without the consent of the employee, other than “for cause” for misconduct or delinquency. The most common cause of an involuntary separation is a reduction in force. Another frequent cause for an involuntary separation is when the location of an office or unit is moved to an area outside the commuting area of the old worksite*. Employees who decline reasonable offers of other positions are not eligible for discontinued service annuities.

*Exception: If, when you accepted your current position, you were placed under a general mobility agreement whereby you would be subject to geographic reassignment, you would not be eligible for discontinued service annuity rights if your position is moved to an area outside the commuting area.

If your agency:

• makes you a reasonable offer and you choose to decline the offer and resign, you will not qualify for discontinued service retirement, or
• separates you by adverse action procedures for not complying with a directed reassignment to a position that is a “reasonable offer,”

then your separation would not qualify for discontinued service.

Reasonable Offer

• Written offer of another position in your agency and commuting area for which you are qualified, and
• That is no more than two grades or pay levels below your current grade or pay level.

Commuting Area

Geographic area that usually constitutes one area for employment purposes. A commuting area includes any population center (or two or more neighboring ones) and the surrounding localities in which people live and reasonably can be expected to travel back and forth daily in their usual employment.

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Eligibility Requirements for Early Optional Retirement and Discontinued Service Retirement Because of an Involuntary Separation

Age	Years of Service Needed (At least 5 years must be civilian service)
50	20
Any	25

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Annuity Computation

Here is how the basic FERS annuity formula is calculated:

FERS Basic Annuity Formula

Age	Formula
Under Age 62 at Separation for Retirement or Age 62 or Older With Less Than 20 Years of Service	1 percent of your high-3 average salary for each year of service
Age 62 or Older at Separation With 20 or More Years of Service	1.1 percent of your high-3 average salary for each year of service

Example 1-Under age 62 at retirement or age 62 with less than 20 years of Service:

High 3 Average Salary-$90,000

Service-18

1% × $90,000 × 18 = $16,200 (annual amount)

$16,200 ÷ 12 = $1,350 per month

*Note this example does not account for any reductions (survivor annuity, etc.… ).

 

Example 2-Age 62 or Older at retirement with 20 or more years of service:

High 3 Average Salary-$90,000

Service-20

1.1% × $90,000 × 20 = $19,800 (annual amount)

$19,800 ÷ 12 = $1,650 per month

*Note this example does not account for any reductions (survivor annuity, etc.…).

Reductions in Annuity

In addition to the regular reductions for the cost of survivor benefits, unpaid service and refunded service, your annuity could be subject to an age reduction:

If you retire under the discontinued service retirement or early optional retirement provision, and part of your benefit was computed under CSRS rules, the CSRS portion will be reduced if you are under age 55. The reduction is ⅙ of 1% (2% per year) for every month by which your annuity commencing date precedes your 55th birthday.

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Age and Service Requirements for Voluntary Retirement

Eligibility is based on your age and the number of years of creditable service and any other special requirements. Your minimum retirement age (MRA) is based on the year you were born (see MRA table below).

If you meet one of the following sets of requirements, you may be eligible for a voluntary immediate retirement benefit. An immediate annuity is one that begins within 30 days after your separation from Federal service.

Type of Retirement	Minimum Age	Minimum Service	Additional Information
Voluntary (Optional)	62	5	No reduction to your annuity
	60	20	No reduction to your annuity
	MRA*	30	No reduction to your annuity
	MRA*	10	Annuity is reduced by 5% for each year you are under age 62. There is an option to postpone your annuity to decrease or avoid this age reduction.
	Any age	25	This age and service combination applies if: You retire under special provisions for air traffic controllers, law enforcement officers, firefighters, or Military Reserve Technicians. OPM determines that your agency is undergoing a major reorganization, reduction-in-force, or transfer of function and authorizes a Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA).
	50	20

Determine Your MRA

Find your birth year on the chart below to find your MRA. Individuals born in 1970 or later have an MRA of 57.

Year of Birth	Minimum Retirement Age
Before 1948	55 years
1948	55 years, 2 months
1949	55 years, 4 months
1950	55 years, 6 months
1951	55 years, 8 months
1952	55 years, 10 months
1953 to 1964	56 years
1965	56 years, 2 months
1966	56 years, 4 months
1967	56 years, 6 months
1968	56 years, 8 months
1969	56 years, 10 months
After 1969	57 years

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MRA + 10 Retirement

To qualify for an MRA + 10 retirement, you must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• You must have at least 10 years, but less than 30 years of creditable service when you separate from Federal service, and
• You must have reached your MRA on the day you separate from Federal service.

If you did not reach your MRA at the time of separation from Federal service, you may be entitled to a deferred retirement.

Note – If you are age 62 or older at separation then you are not eligible for a MRA+10 since you may be eligible for an immediate annuity (age 62 with 5 years of creditable civilian service).

MRA + 10 Age Reduction

Under an MRA + 10 retirement your annuity will be reduced by 5/12 of 1 percent for each month (5 percent per year) that you are under age 62 at the time your retirement begins (also called your annuity commencing date). However, you can postpone the commencing date of your annuity to reduce or eliminate this age reduction.

Postponing the Beginning Date of Annuity to Reduce or Avoid the Age Reduction

If you retire under MRA+10, you can choose to delay when your annuity payments begin – this is called a postponed retirement. The longer you wait (up to 2 days before your 62^nd birthday), the smaller the reduction to your annuity.

You can choose to have your annuity begin any date between your MRA and 2 days before your 62nd birthday, subject to certain application requirements detailed below.

Special circumstance: If you have 20 years of creditable service and elect to have your annuity commence at age 60, the age reduction is eliminated.

Note – You cannot begin your annuity while you are reemployed with the federal government.

Postponed Retirement Insurance Options

Life Insurance

You cannot continue your life insurance coverage unless you are receiving an annuity. Therefore, if you postpone the beginning date of your annuity, your life insurance enrollment will terminate at separation.

When your postponed annuity begins, if you had Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) coverage for the 5 years of service immediately before you separated, then you will be able to elect to continue your eligible coverage with your annuity.

Health Insurance

If you postpone your annuity, you will be eligible to temporarily continue your health benefits coverage for 18 months from the date of separation from Federal service; however, you must contact your former employing agency within 60 days and pay the total premium, which includes the employee share and the government share plus a 2% administrative charge.

When your annuity payments begin, if you had Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) coverage for the 5 years of service immediately before you separated, you will be eligible to reenroll in a health benefits plan under the FEHB program, and OPM will pay the government share of the premium.

Federal Long Term Care Insurance

If you already have Federal Long Term Care Insurance coverage when you separate, but postpone the commencing date of your annuity, your coverage will continue if you continue to pay premiums. If you are not enrolled in the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program when you separate for retirement, you can apply for enrollment any time after your separation, even if you postpone the commencing date of your annuity.

Dental and Vision Insurance

Learn more about reenrolling in OPM’s Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) when you postpone your annuity

Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLAs)

If you postpone your annuity commencing date you will begin receiving applicable COLAs only in years after your annuity commences. FERS annuities begin to receive COLAs when you reach age 62.  However, if your FERS annuity has a CSRS component, the CSRS component will receive any applicable CSRS COLAs you are entitled to before age 62.

Survivor Benefits

If you postpone your annuity and die before you begin to receive annuity benefits, your spouse can still receive FERS survivor benefits.

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How to Apply for a Postponed Retirement

Application Requirements

Former employees who are eligible for a postponed retirement will need to submit their application through the Online Retirement Application (ORA) platform.

To receive a postponed retirement, you must:

• Submit your application at least 31 days prior to your chosen annuity commencement date, and
• Your annuity commencement date must be the first day of a month which must be at least 2 days prior to your 62^nd

If you apply for a postponed retirement after reaching age 62, then you will need to choose between:

• An annuity commencement date of the first day of the month following your separation from Federal service which may include an age reduction, or
• A deferred retirement which will start the first day of the month after age 62. Important note – you are not eligible to reinstate your health and life insurance benefits under a deferred retirement.

Submitting Your Application

Submit your postponed retirement application directly to OPM through ORA at least 60 days before you want your postponed annuity benefits to begin.

To start your postponed retirement application, you will need to click on the “Start deferred/postponed application” hyperlink, then follow the instructions to create your ORA account and complete the Login.gov identify verification process. For information about the required identity verification process, please visit the Login.gov Help Center.

The ORA platform has a dedicated Help page that contains useful information for navigating ORA and contacting the ORA Technical Support Team.

What You Need to Apply

When completing your postponed retirement application, you will need to know:

• The beginning and ending dates of Federal service for each agency you worked for throughout your Federal career
• The beginning and ending dates of any honorable active duty military service
• Details about your military service deposit, if applicable
• Details about any military retired pay you may be receiving, if applicable
• If you previously applied for a refund, deposit, or retirement with OPM
• If you ever received workers’ compensation benefits from the Department of Labor

Please visit the Application Tips page for more information about documentation you may need to complete your postponed retirement application through ORA.

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Computation of Annuity

Go to the Computation Page to see how an annuity is calculated.

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If you are a former Federal employee who was covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), you may be eligible for a deferred annuity starting at age 62 or  Minimum Retirement Age (MRA).

You may be eligible for a FERS deferred retirement if you:

• Are not eligible for an immediate annuity within 30 days of separation from your agency,
• Meet the minimum age and civilian service requirements, and
• Did not take a refund of your retirement deductions after separating from service (or transferring to a position not subject to FERS deductions).

Age and Service Requirements

You are eligible for a deferred annuity if you meet one of the following age and service requirements:

Minimum Age	Minimum Service	Additional Information
62	5 years creditable civilian service	No reduction to your annuity
MRA	10 years of creditable service	Annuity is reduced by 5% for each year you are under age 62. There is an option to delay your annuity to decrease or avoid this age reduction.

Determine your MRA

Find your birth year on the chart below to find your MRA. Individuals born in 1970 or later have an MRA of 57.

Year of Birth	Minimum Retirement Age
Before 1948	55 years
1948	55 years, 2 months
1949	55 years, 4 months
1950	55 years, 6 months
1951	55 years, 8 months
1952	55 years, 10 months
1953 to 1964	56 years
1965	56 years, 2 months
1966	56 years, 4 months
1967	56 years, 6 months
1968	56 years, 8 months
1969	56 years, 10 months
After 1969	57 years

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MRA + 10 Age Reduction

If you apply for a deferred retirement under the MRA + 10 provisions, your annuity will be reduced by 5/12 of 1 percent for each month (5 percent per year) that your annuity begins prior to your 62nd birthday. However, you can reduce or avoid the age reduction to your deferred annuity by choosing a commencing date closer to your 62^nd birthday.

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How to Reduce or Avoid the Age Reduction to Your FERS Annuity

You can decrease or eliminate the age reduction if you choose to have your annuity begin at a date later than your MRA. You can choose to have your annuity commence any date between your MRA and your 62nd birthday, subject to certain application requirements.

If you decide to delay the commencing date of your deferred annuity, the age reduction will decrease based upon how close your annuity commencing date is to your 62nd birthday. In other words, the closer your annuity commencing date is to your 62nd birthday, the larger your annuity will be.

Special circumstances:

• If you have 20 or more years of creditable service and elect to have your annuity commence at age 60, the age reduction is eliminated.
• If you have 30 or more years of creditable service your annuity will not have an age reduction.

Note – you cannot begin your annuity while you are reemployed with the Federal government.

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Health Benefits and Life Insurance Coverage

If you receive a deferred annuity, you are not eligible to reenroll in any health benefits, life insurance coverage, or dental and vision benefits.

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FERS Annuity Supplement

Former employees who receive a deferred annuity are not eligible for the FERS annuity supplement.

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Commencing Date of Deferred Retirement

More Than 10 Years of Service

A deferred annuity with at least 10 years of service may begin either:

• the first day of the month after you reach MRA, or
• any date after your MRA (up to age 62) to decrease or avoid the age reduction.

Less Than 10 Years of Service

If you have at least 5 years of creditable civilian service but less than 10 years of service, then your deferred retirement may begin on the first day of the month after you reach age 62.

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Survivor Annuity

If you are married when your annuity begins, it will be computed with a reduction to provide a maximum survivor annuity (50 percent of your unreduced annuity) for your spouse upon your death.

You can elect to provide a partial survivor annuity (25 percent of your unreduced annuity) or no survivor annuity; however, you must get your spouse's notarized consent to elect either of these options. You can also elect a survivor annuity for a former spouse or an insurable interest survivor annuity.

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Computation of Deferred Annuity

Your deferred annuity is based on the length of service and high-3 average salary in effect when you separated from Federal service. Your unused sick leave balance at the time of your separation is not creditable for eligibility or computation purposes in a deferred retirement.

Your benefit may be computed differently, if you fall under one of the provisions below:

• Member of Congress or Congressional Employee (or any combination of the two) must have at least 5 years of service as a Member of Congress and/or Congressional Employee under FERS.
• Transferred to FERS and at the time of transfer had at least 5 years of creditable civilian service covered under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). Important note – this excludes service that was subject to both CSRS and Social Security (CSRS Offset service).

Information about the FERS basic annuity formula and the above special formulas are available on the FERS Computation page.

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How to Apply for a Deferred Annuity

Application Requirements

Former employees who are eligible for a deferred retirement will need to submit their application through the Online Retirement Application (ORA) platform.

Submitting Your Application

Submit your application directly to OPM through ORA at least 60 days before you want your deferred annuity to begin.

To start your deferred retirement application, you will need to click on the “Start deferred/postponed application” hyperlink, then follow the instructions to create your ORA account and complete the Login.gov identify verification process. For information about the required identity verification process, please visit the Login.gov Help Center.

The has a dedicated Help page that contains useful information for navigating ORA and contacting the ORA Technical Support Team.

What You Need to Apply

When completing your deferred retirement application, you will need to know:

• The beginning and ending dates of Federal service for each agency you worked for throughout your Federal career
• The beginning and ending dates of any honorable active duty military service
• Details about your military service deposit, if applicable
• Details about any military retired pay you may be receiving, if applicable
• If you previously applied for a refund, deposit, or retirement with OPM
• If you ever received workers’ compensation benefits from the Department of Labor

Please visit the Application Tips page for more information about documentation you may need to complete your deferred retirement application through ORA.

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If You Die Before Applying for a Deferred Annuity

For information about survivor benefits payable to your family, please visit the Former Employee Survivor Benefits page.

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FERS employees who retire after age 62 are generally eligible to receive not only their FERS annuity retirement benefit after they retire, but also their Thrift Savings Plan benefits and their Social Security benefits. However, if you are eligible to retire before age 62, and are not yet eligible for the Social Security benefit under the Social Security Act, you are generally entitled instead to a FERS annuity supplement. The FERS annuity supplement is part of your FERS employee annuity but is meant to replace the amount of the Social Security benefit you would have otherwise received had you retired after age 62.For that reason, the FERS annuity supplement is calculated as if you were eligible to receive Social Security benefits on the day you retired. Eligibility for the annuity supplement continues until the earlier of—

• The last day of the month before the first month for which you would be entitled to Social Security benefits, or
• The last day of the month in which you reach age 62.

Eligibility for the Annuity Supplement

If you retire voluntarily on an immediate annuity which is not reduced for age, you may be eligible for an annuity supplement. You may also receive the supplement if you retired involuntarily before attaining your Minimum Retirement Age (MRA) or voluntarily because of a major reorganization, reduction in force, or an early retirement for Members of Congress. However, in these three instances, you will not be eligible for the annuity supplement until you reach your Minimum Retirement Age (MRA). If you receive a deferred benefit, a disability benefit or an immediate MRA+10 benefit, you will not be eligible for the annuity supplement.

If your annuity has a Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and a Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) component, you can still receive an annuity supplement. However, you must have completed one full calendar year of service subject to FERS computation rules.

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Computation of Annuity Supplement

The FERS annuity supplement is computed as if you were age 62, fully insured for a Social Security benefit when the supplement begins and had applied for Social Security benefits. OPM first estimates what your full career (40 years) Social Security benefit would be. Then calculates the amount of your civilian service under FERS and reduces the estimated full career Social Security benefit accordingly. For example, if your estimated full career Social Security benefit would be $1,000 and you had worked 30 years under FERS, OPM would divide 30 by 40 (.75) and multiply ($1,000 × .75 = $750). The result would be your FERS annuity supplement, prior to any reductions.

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Changes in the Amount of the Supplement

Like Social Security benefits, the FERS annuity supplement is subject to an earnings test. It is reduced if you earn more than the Social Security exempt amount of earnings in the immediately preceding year. The supplement is reduced by $1.00 for every $2.00 of earnings over the minimum level. It is possible that your earnings may cause the supplement to be reduced to $0. However, your remaining FERS employee annuity will not otherwise be reduced. If you are receiving a supplement, you must report your earnings to OPM. You will receive instructions on how to report your earnings once you begin receiving the annuity supplement.

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Minimum Level of Earnings

The amount you may earn without affecting your FERS annuity supplement is determined by the Social Security Administration each year. It increases with the annual increases in average wages for the national workforce.

Follow this link to learn more about the amount you can earn annually before it impacts your FERS annuity supplement:

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Definition of Earnings

Your FERS employee annuity is not considered earnings when determining your earnings for the earnings test. Earnings for the year consist of the sum of wages for service performed in the year, plus all net earnings from self-employment for the year, minus any net loss from self-employment for the year.

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