The federal government has special retirement programs for its employees. How this affects your Social Security benefit amount depends on when you worked for the federal government.
If you worked for the federal government in 1983 or earlier, you did not pay Social Security taxes on your earnings, and your Social Security earnings record will not show those earnings. This is because the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS)—not Social Security—provided retirement benefits for federal workers at the time.
A newer program called the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) replaced CSRS. Workers who participate in FERS are eligible for Social Security.
If you chose to stay in CSRS after 1983, you are not eligible for Social Security. However, you are covered under the Medicare program because you pay Medicare taxes on your federal earnings.
Your CSRS pension could affect your Social Security benefit amount if you:
- Had less than 30 years of substantial earnings under Social Security.
- Qualify for a Government Pension Offset (GPO) as a spouse.
