CSRS Civil Service

Retirement 

System 

Retirement 

Facts 

12 

Information 

About 

Reemployment 

for Civil Service 

Retirement 

System 

Annuitants 

United States 

Office of 

Personnel 

Management 

Retirement and 

Insurance 

Service 

Previous edition is usable 

RI 83-18 

Revised November 1997 
Additional retirement information and all publications of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management listed in this pamphlet are available on the 

Internet. 

OPM Website — http://www.opm.gov/asd 
Table of Contents 

Page 

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 

CSRS Annuity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 

Annuity Stops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 

Benefits When Reemployment Ends . . . . 2 

Annuity Continues . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 

Supplemental or Redetermined Benefits . . 4 

Exceptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 

FERS Election Opportunity . . . . . . . . . . 6 

Federal Employees Health Benefits 

(FEHB) Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

Annuity Stops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

Annuity Continues . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

Federal Employees Group Life Insurance 

(FEGLI) Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

Annuity Stops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

Annuity Continues . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

Electing Insurance as an Employee . . . . 8 

If You Die While Employed . . . . . . . . 8 

Special Note for Individuals Who 

Retired On or After March 30, 1994, 

and Who Received a Voluntary 

Separation Incentive . . . . . . . . . . 10 

Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . 11 

i 
Introduction 

This brochure is for you if you are under the 

Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and 

are — 

1) an employee who is thinking of retiring, or 

2) an annuitant 

who wants to know what would happen to your 

annuity if you return to work as a Federal 

employee. 

It has important information about how reemployment will affect your status as an annuitant, 

whether you will continue to receive an annuity 

during and after the period of reemployment, and 

what future retirement benefits may be payable to 

you on the basis of reemployment. 

CSRS Annuity 

Annuity Stops 

Reemployment will cause your annuity to stop 

if — 

1)	 Your are a disability annuitant whom the 

U.S. Office of Personnel Management 

(OPM) has found recovered or restored to 

earning capacity prior to reemployment; 

2)	 You are a disability annuitant who was not 

disabled for your National Guard Technician 

position but were awarded a disability annuity because you were medically disqualified 

for continued membership in the National 

Guard; 

(3)	 Your annuity is based on an involuntary 

separation (other than a separation that was 

required by law based on your age and length 

of service or a separation for cause on 

charges of misconduct or delinquency) and 

1 
your new appointment is permanent in nature 

(for example — Career, Career-Conditional, 

or Excepted); or 

(4)	 You receive a Presidential appointment subject to retirement deductions. 

Employee Status and Retirement Coverage 

If your annuity stops as the result of your reemployment with the Government, your status will 

be that of a regular employee. 

If your new appointment gives retirement coverage, 

a.	 the coverage will be the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) if: 

•	 you had CSRS coverage when you retired, 

and 

•	 you are reemployed within 1 year of your 

retirement. 

b.	 the coverage will be CSRS Offset (CSRS 

and Social Security coverage) if: 

•	 you had CSRS Offset coverage when you 

retired, 

•	 you are reemployed more than a year after 

your retirement, or 

•	 you are appointed to a senior position that 

is subject to mandatory Social Security coverage. 

Benefits When Reemployment Ends 

When your reemployment ends, a new determination about your rights to retirement benefits will 

be made. Your prior retirement benefit generally 

has no impact on your new retirement benefit. 

If you meet all the requirements for an immediate 

retirement (see Retirement Facts 1, The Civil 

Service Retirement System), your benefit will be 

computed as though you are retiring for the first 

time. (Note: The unused sick leave balance used 

2 
in the initial retirement computation will be 

added to the unused sick leave balance when 

your reemployment ends.) 

Generally, you will have to wait until age 62 to 

receive a deferred annuity if you do not qualify 

for an immediate retirement benefit when your 

reemployment ends. 

In rare situations, an annuity based on an involuntary retirement may be reinstated when your 

reemployment ends. The annuity will be reinstated if: 

•	 you were reemployed after more than 1 year of 

your initial retirement, and 

• your reemployment lasted less than 1 year. 

A disability annuity may be reinstated when your 

reemployment ends if: 

• you have not reached age 62, 

•	 you were reemployed more than 1 year after 

you separated for disability retirement, 

• your reemployment lasted less than 1 year, and 

•	 your disability has recurred, or your earnings 

capacity falls below the 80% limitation. 

Annuity Continues 

If your annuity does not stop under the rules discussed above, then you will continue to receive it 

while you are working. Your pay will be reduced 

by the amount of your annuity paid for the period 

you work. If you do not work full time, the reduction in pay will be adjusted proportionately. 

There is no reduction for your annuity during a 

period for which you have elected to receive 

injury compensation benefits in lieu of an annuity 

or when you receive a lump-sum payment of 

annual leave on separation. 

3 
Supplemental or Redetermined 

Benefits 

Reemployment may increase your retirement and 

death benefits. As a reemployed annuitant, you 

can earn either a supplemental annuity or a redetermined annuity. A supplemental annuity is an 

annuity that is added on to your present annuity. 

A redetermined annuity is a recomputed annuity 

that takes the place of your present annuity. If you 

work as a reemployed annuitant on a full time, 

continuous basis for at least 1 year, you may be 

entitled to a supplemental annuity. If you work 

part time, you must work a proportionately longer 

period to earn a supplemental annuity. If your 

reemployment continues for at least 5 years, or 

the part-time equivalent, you may elect a redetermined annuity. 

Intermittent service cannot be counted in establishing eligibility for a supplemental or redetermined annuity and cannot be used in thecomputation of a supplemental annuity. 

If you die while reemployed, after becoming eligible for either a supplemental or redetermined 

annuity, your surviving spouse may have his or 

her survivor benefit either increased or recomputed. 

Civil Service Retirement System reemployed 

annuitant service cannot be credited in a supplemental or redetermined annuity unless a deposit is 

paid after separation, or retirement deductions are 

withheld. If you are reemployed in a full-time or 

part-time position, you may elect to have retirement deductions withheld from your pay. The 

amount of retirement deductions or deposit is a 

percentage of your basic pay before it is reduced 

by the amount of your annuity. 

Disability Annuitants

The following are important facts that may affect 

your future retirement benefits if you are a disability annuitant. 

(1)	 If you are reemployed on a permanent basis 

in a position equivalent in grade and pay to 

4 
the position from which you retired, the 

Office of Personnel Management may find 

that you have recovered from your disability. 

(2)	 If you are reemployed subject to medical and 

physical qualification standards equivalent to 

those of the position from which you retired, 

OPM may find that you have recovered from 

your disability. 

(3)	 The pay of the position in which you are 

reemployed, before the reduction for the 

amount of your annuity, will be included as 

earnings in determining whether you are 

restored to earning capacity and your annuity 

must stop. 

(4)	 Receipt of, or continued entitlement to 

receive, full or partial injury compensation 

benefits from the Department of Labor’s 

Office of Workers’ Compensation during 

reemployment, when those benefits are based 

on the same injury or medical condition that 

is the basis for the Office of Personnel Management’s award of disability retirement, is 

conclusive evidence (unless there is contravening medical evidence) that you have not 

recovered from your disability. 

(5)	 If you are age 60 or over, your annuity cannot 

be stopped because of your earnings, and 

OPM can find that you are recovered only if 

you request to be found recovered. 

Exceptions

Not all of the rules discussed in this pamphlet 

apply to all reemployed annuitants. If you are 

reemployed under any of the following circumstances, you should ask your employing agency 

about special retirement rules that may apply to 

you — 

(1)	 Under special provisions for positions for 

which there is exceptional difficulty in 

recruiting or retaining a qualified employee 

or there is a direct threat to life or property, 

5 
or other unusual circumstances warranting 

emergency employment; 

(2)	 On an interim basis, as a consequence of an 

administrative or judicial body reviewing the 

grounds for your separation; 

(3)	 As a Presidential appointee to a position that 

is permanent in nature; 

(4)	 As a former Member of Congress who separated from Congressional service with more 

than 5 years of service as a Member of Congress; 

(5)	 As a justice or judge of the United States, as 

defined by section 451 of title 28 of the 

United States Code; or 

(6)	 Under another retirement system for Federal 

employees. 

FERS Election Opportunity 

The following general rule about transferring to 

FERS, the Federal Employees Retirement System, also applies to reemployed annuitants. 

You will be eligible to transfer to FERS if you 

are reemployed after a break in service of more 

than 3 days and your new appointment is neither 

temporary nor intermittent. If you want to transfer to FERS, you must do so within 6 months of 

your reemployment. The FERS Transfer Handbook (RI 90-3) has information about transferring to FERS. 

6 
Federal Employees Health Benefits 

(FEHB) Program 

Annuity Stops 

If your annuity stops upon reemployment, your 

health insurance coverage as an annuitant stops, 

too. If your appointment is one that gives you eligibility for FEHB coverage, you can enroll in the 

program when you are reemployed. 

Annuity Continues 

If your annuity continues after you are reemployed, your Federal Employees Health Benefits 

coverage as an annuitant continues and withholding of premiums continues to be made from your 

annuity payment. 

Federal Employees Group Life 

Insurance (FEGLI) Program 

Annuity Stops 

If your annuity stops upon reemployment, your 

life insurance as an annuitant stops without a 

right to convert to an individual policy. You 

acquire life insurance coverage as an employee 

under the same conditions as any other employee 

who is rehired in the Federal service. For details, 

read the publication Federal Employees’ Group 

Life Insurance, RI 76-21, which describes the 

FEGLI Program. 

Annuity Continues 

Continuing the Coverage You Have Had 

as an Annuitant 

If your annuity continues after you are reemployed, you retain the life insurance you have as 

a retiree. However, if the type of appointment 

you have makes you eligible for FEGLI coverage 

as an employee, any Basic Life insurance, Standard Optional, and Family Optional insurance you 

have as an annuitant are suspended and you will 

7 
have the coverage(s) (including Accidental Death 

and Dismemberment coverage where applicable) 

as an employee. The value of this insurance will 

be based on your salary as an employee, and the 

cost will be withheld from your pay. This happens automatically. These coverages will be 

resumed at the same rate when the reemployment 

ends, except for any applicable reductions that 

normally begin at age 65. 

The cost of Additional Optional insurance, if you 

have it, will continue to be withheld from your 

annuity payment unless you request that it also 

be suspended so that you can have Additional 

Optional insurance as an employee. If you choose 

to have Additional Optional insurance as an 

employee, you will be subject to the same conditions as other employees who are rehired. Ask 

your employing office for the publication 

RI 76-21, the Federal Employees’ Group Life 

Insurance (FEGLI) booklet, which describes the 

FEGLI program. 

Electing Insurance as an Employee 

During your reemployment you will automatically get Basic Life Insurance as an employee 

if the type of appointment you have makes you 

eligible for coverage. You may also elect any 

optional coverage unless an uncancelled waiver is 

still in effect. 

If You Die While Employed 

If you die during the period of reemployment, 

your survivor will receive either the amount of 

Basic Life insurance you had as an employee or 

the amount of the suspended Basic Life you had 

as an annuitant, whichever is higher. If you have 

Standard Optional insurance, the amount you 

have as an employee is the amount payable if you 

die as a reemployed annuitant. If you have Additional Optional insurance as an employee rather 

than as an annuitant, the amount you have as an 

8 
employee is the amount payable if you die as a 

reemployed annuitant. If you have Additional 

Optional as an annuitant, that is the amount payable. 

Note: If you retire and are reemployed under a 

temporary appointment without a break in service or a break in service of 3 days or less, you are 

eligible for FEGLI coverage as an employee. If 

the break in service before the temporary appointment begins is more than 3 days, you are not generally eligible for FEGLI coverage as an 

employee. 

Caution: Any waiver or declination of insurance 

you file as a reemployed annuitant will affect 

your suspended life insurance as an annuitant as 

well as the coverage you have as an employee. 

After you leave the reemployment, you can keep 

insurance you acquired because of the reemployment if: 

•	 You qualify for a supplemental annuity or you 

acquire a new annuity right, and 

•	 You have had the insurance (or number of multiples, in the case of Additional Optional insurance) as an employee (including the time as a 

reemployed annuitant) for at least the 5 years of 

service immediately preceding your separation 

from the reemployment (or for all periods of 

service during which you were eligible for the 

insurance, if less than 5 years). 

If you keep insurance you acquired during the 

reemployment, the suspended insurance of the 

same type terminates. 

9 
Special Note for Individuals � 

Who Retired On or After � 

March 30, 1994, and Who � 

Received a Voluntary Separation � 

Incentive� 

Generally, any employee who received a voluntary separation incentive payment from a Federal 

agency since March 30, 1994, must repay the 

entire amount of the incentive to the agency 

which paid it if the individual is employed by the 

Government of the United States or if the individual works under a personal services contract with 

the Government within 5 years of the date of 

separating for the incentive. Employment 

includes work with any entity of the Federal government, under any appointment authority, for 

any duration of time. This includes all branches 

of Government, independent agencies (such as 

the U.S. Postal Service), all work schedules (parttime, temporary, term appointments, etc.), 

experts, consultants, etc. In some extremely rare 

cases, an agency may request a waiver of the 

repayment, but generally, there are no exceptions 

to the repayment requirement. 

Because there are several different laws authorizing the payment of Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments, and since many of these laws 

contain different repayment requirements, if you 

separated on or after March 30, 1994, received a 

separation incentive, and are considering returning to work with any part of the Federal government or as a personal services contractor, contact 

your agency for information about the effect of 

reemployment on the payment you received. 

10 
Additional Information 

You may obtain copies of the pamphlets listed 

below from your personnel office, from OPM’s 

Website (http:\\www.opm.gov\asd), or from OPM 

ONLINE (OPM’s electronic bulletin board) at 

(202) 606-4800. To access OPM ONLINE, your 

communications software should be set to the following: 

Baud: Up to 28,800 

Parity: None 

Data bits: 8 

Stop bit: 1 

The pamphlets in the Retirement Facts Series, 

which provide more detailed information about 

the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), are: 

•	 Retirement Facts #1 - The Civil Service 

Retirement System (RI 83-1) 

•	 Retirement Facts #2 - Military Service Credit 

Under the Civil Service Retirement System 

(RI 83-2) 

•	 Retirement Facts #3 - Deposits and Redeposits 

Under the Civil Service Retirement System 

(RI 83-3) 

•	 Retirement Facts #4 - Disability Retirement 

Under the Civil Service Retirement System 

(RI 83-4) 

•	 Retirement Facts #5 - Survivor Benefits Under 

the Civil Service Retirement System (RI 83-5) 

•	 Retirement Facts #6 - Early Retirement Under 

the Civil Service Retirement System (RI 83-6) 

•	 Retirement Facts #7 - Computing Retirement 

Benefits Under the Civil Service Retirement 

System (RI 83-7) 

•	 Retirement Facts #8 - Credit for Unused Sick 

Leave Under the Civil Service Retirement System (RI 83-8) 

11 
•	 Retirement Facts #9 - Refunds Under the Civil 

Service Retirement System (RI 83-9) 

•	 Retirement Facts #10 - Voluntary Contributions Under the Civil Service Retirement 

System (RI 83-10) 

•	 Retirement Facts #11 - Information for Separating CSRS Employees Who Are Not Eligible for 

an Immediate Annuity (RI 83-13) 

•	 Retirement Facts #12 - Information About 

Reemployment for Civil Service Retirement 

System Annuitants (RI 83-18) 

•	 Retirement Facts #13 - Civil Service Retirement System Offset Retirement (RI 83-19) 

•	 Retirement Facts #14 - Law Enforcement and 

Firefighter Civil Service Retirement System 

Retirement (RI 83-20) 

Pamphlets applicable to employees in both the 

Civil Service Retirement System and Federal 

Employees Retirement System are: 

•	 Court-Ordered Benefits for Former Spouses 

(RI 84-1) 

•	 Work-Related Injuries and Fatalities - What 

You and Your Family Need to Know About 

Your Benefits (RI 84-2) 

•	 Life Events and Your Retirement and Insurance 

Benefits (For Employees) (RI 84-3) 

• Thinking About Retirement? (RI 83-11) 

Publications for employees who are under the 

Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) 

are: 

•	 FERS Brochure (An Overview of Your Benefits) 

(RI 90-1) 

•	 FERS Facts #1 - Information for Separating 

FERS Employees Who Are Not Eligible for an 

Immediate Annuity (RI 90-11) 

12 
•	 FERS Facts #2 - Information About Reemployment for FERS Annuitants (RI 90-18) 

For employees who are eligible to transfer to the 

Federal Employees Retirement System: 

•	 FERS Transfer Handbook (A Guide to Making 

Your Decision) (RI 90-3) 

Pamphlets on the Federal Employees Health and 

Life Insurance Programs are: 

•	 Federal Employees Health Benefits Guide 

(RI 70-1) 

•	 Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC) 

under the Federal Employees Health Benefits 

Program (RI 79-27) 

•	 Federal Employees Group Life Insurance Booklet (RI 76-21) 

13 
Notes 

14
 
Notes 

15
 
Retirement & Insurance Service 

Serving over 10 million customers, Federal employees, 

annuitants, and their families