Question: I’m a Federal employee, age 51 with 22 years of Federal service. My agency is offering the voluntary early retirement, but I would like to continue to work. If I miss the opportunity to use the VERA, and am later terminated due to a RIF, will I qualify for the Discontinued Service Retirement?
Answer: This is a great question. An employee who is separated due to a RIF may qualify for a discontinued service retirement, unless due to misconduct, if these qualifications are met:
- Employee meets the age and service requirements of discontinued service retirements. (any age if employee has at least 25 years of federal service or more, OR age 50 and over if employee has at least 20 years of federal service.
- Employee meets the minimum civilian service requirement, which is 5 years.
- Employee is being separated from a position where he or she contributed to CSRS or FERS coverage.
- Employee does not decline a reasonable offer of another position.
Additionally, to qualify for discontinued service retirement, an employee must receive specific written notice from the agency that they are being involuntarily separated with the reason for the action, and a certification form (OPM Form 1510) to let OPM know the employee has not declined a reasonable offer of another position.
If you want more details about qualifying for a discontinued service retirement, go to www.opm.gov and look up the CSRS and FERS Handbook Chapter 44.
Question: Does my agency have VERA for employees who opt to take the deferred resignation offer?
Answer: Yes. If an employee meets the age and service requirements for VERA, the employee is eligible for VERA along with the deferred resignation offer.
Question: I am scheduled to retire after September 30, 2025. Can I do the deferred resignation and retire after the September 30, 2025 deadline?
Answer: If your retirement date is between October 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025, you may take the deferred resignation offer and still retire as scheduled. If your retirement date is within this window, the deferred resignation date will be extended to match your retirement date.
