| e United States, employees of the federal | | | | the federal employee. In some cases, however, |
| government are provided with retirement benefits | | | | the employee claiming eligibility must have reached |
| under two systems: | | | | the Minimum Retirement Age or MRA in order to |
| 1. Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS); and | | | | receive retirement benefits. |
| 2. Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). | | | | There are four categories of benefits for FERS. |
| Under the CSRS, there are five categories of | | | | They are: |
| benefits granted. Retirement eligibility with CSRS is | | | | 1. Immediate retirement |
| based on the age and number of years of | | | | 2. Early retirement |
| creditable service of a federal employee including | | | | 3. Deferred retirement |
| all other special requirements set by CSRS. In | | | | 4. Disability retirement |
| addition, the person seeking eligibility must have | | | | In order to be entitled to an immediate retirement |
| worked for two consecutive years in a CSRS | | | | benefit, the person must be: |
| covered position immediately prior to retirement. | | | | 1. 62 years old with at least 5 years of service; |
| The five categories of benefits under the CSRS | | | | 2. 60 years old with at least 20 years of service; |
| are: | | | | 3. MRA with at least 30 years of service; or |
| 1. Those who left federal service before meeting | | | | 4. MRA with at least 10 years of service; |
| the CSRS age and service requirement; | | | | Early retirement benefits, on the other hand, are |
| 2. Those who retired under special provisions of | | | | available to certain involuntary separation cases |
| air traffic controllers, firefighter or law | | | | and cases of voluntary separation because of |
| enforcement personnel; | | | | reduction in force or during major reorganizations. |
| 3. Those employees whose agencies are | | | | A person is eligible for FERS early retirement |
| undergoing major reorganization, reduction in force | | | | benefits if he or she is at least 50 years old with |
| or transfer of functions as determined by the | | | | 20 years or more of service or of any age with |
| Office of Personnel Management (OPM); | | | | at least 25 years of creditable service. |
| 4. Those whose separation from employment are | | | | With regard to deferred retirement, this pertains |
| involuntary but not due to misconduct or | | | | to delayed payment of retirement benefits until |
| delinquency; and | | | | certain criteria are met by the retirees. Individuals |
| 5. Those who are disabled from performing the | | | | who left Federal service before they meet the |
| jobs required of their current positions or other | | | | age and service requirements for immediate |
| positions within the same pay or grade level. | | | | retirement benefit are eligible for this kind of |
| Subject also to the qualification that the disability | | | | retirement benefit. However, before becoming |
| must have been sustained prior to retirement or | | | | eligible, the individual must have completed at least |
| within one year from date of separation from | | | | five years of creditable civilian service. |
| employment. | | | | Finally, under the disability retirement benefit, a |
| On the other hand, eligibility requirements for | | | | person is eligible if he or she had at least 18 |
| retirement benefits under FERS depend upon the | | | | months of creditable service regardless of age. |
| age and number of creditable years of service of | | | | |