Common Mistakes During Federal Retirement Applications 

It is beneficial to submit a “healthy” application to help speed up the processing of your retirement application. All questions must be answered, all appropriate boxes ticked, and all places needing initials must be initialed on such an application, which is “a complete, original form, signed by the applicant, in ink and dated.”

Here are some of the most typical problem areas:

• Regardless of whether the person is married, a survivor election must be made.

• Spousal consent must be provided if a married applicant elects less than the entire survivor annuity, and the election on the application must agree with the spousal consent.

• The Court Order question must be answered.

Other areas that require special attention include: all periods of creditable civilian and military service must be listed, and military service must be documented on Form DD-214; a spousal consent form must be submitted when a married applicant elects less than full survivor benefits; additional documentation is required if the employee is taking voluntary early retirement or discontinued service retirement; documentation of the employee’s FEHB status and eligibility to continue working; documentation of the employee’s FEHB status and eligibility to continue working; documentation.

Blanks and Typos

Typos and blank spaces on applications are two of the most common blunders. Part of the application, for example, inquires about a spouse or past spouse. This section must be completed even if the employee does not have a spouse. You’ll want to double-check that everything is correct and up-to-date.

Your names, date of birth, and social security number are all important pieces of information that must match what your agency has on file. Scratch-outs and white-outs are not acceptable, as previously stated.

Choosing an Annuity for a Survivor

A married candidate might choose to have their spouse receive a survivor annuity. This is a critical decision. If you die, it will determine the amount of your pension a spouse will continue to get.

If you don’t want a full survivor annuity, you’ll need your spouse to sign a notarized consent document attached to the application.

In addition, if you do not select a survivor annuity, your spouse will no longer be covered by your Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) insurance after you die. This one decision could have far-reaching implications for the rest of your life.

FEHB’s Future in Retirement

Because healthcare expenses have skyrocketed in recent years, your FEHB benefit has become a mandatory component of most retirement plans.

You are required to have been enrolled in FEHB for at least five years before retirement to keep it. You’ll want to make sure that your application includes paperwork proving that you were protected during that time.

Your organization will most likely only have documentation for your recent enrollment decision. If you’ve changed jobs in the recent five years, make sure you can present proof of previous enrollments as well.

Contact Information:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 8889193252