Is it possible to request a waiver to access the FERS Supplement two years early? My wife has 32/33 years but only turns 55 in August. Thanks. – Fred
The Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) Supplement is a valuable benefit for federal employees who retire before becoming eligible for Social Security at age 62. One common question is whether it’s possible to access the FERS Supplement early—such as before reaching the Minimum Retirement Age (MRA)—especially for those with many years of service. This article explains how the FERS Supplement works, who qualifies, and whether early access or waivers are available.
What Is the FERS Supplement?
The FERS Supplement is a monthly payment that helps bridge the income gap for federal retirees who leave service before age 62. It provides a benefit similar to what the retiree would receive from Social Security, but only until age 62, when regular Social Security benefits typically begin.
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for the FERS Supplement, a retiree must:
- Be covered under the FERS system (not CSRS).
- Retire with an immediate, unreduced annuity.
- Meet one of the following age and service combinations:
- Reach their MRA (generally between 55 and 57) with at least 30 years of service.
- Be at least 60 years old with at least 20 years of service.
- Reach their MRA (generally between 55 and 57) with at least 30 years of service.
Those who retire under the MRA+10 provision—MRA with at least 10 years of service—are not eligible for the FERS Supplement.
Special categories such as law enforcement officers, firefighters, and air traffic controllers may qualify earlier due to unique retirement rules. Make sure you are familiar with those unique retirement rule before making your decision.
Can You Get the FERS Supplement Early or Request a Waiver?
No. There is no option to receive the FERS Supplement before reaching the required age and service thresholds. The rules are clear and specific: you must reach your MRA and meet the service requirement to qualify. No waivers or exceptions are allowed to access the supplement early..
For example, if someone has 32 years of service and turns 55 later this year, they must still wait until reaching their MRA to begin receiving the supplement—even if they already meet the service requirement.
What If You Retire Before Age 62?
If you retire before you’re eligible for the FERS Supplement, you’ll need to rely on other income sources or savings until it begins or until Social Security starts at 62. Many retirees use their Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) or personal savings to bridge the gap during this period.
Working with a financial advisor can help you build a strategy to manage this income gap and make sure your retirement plan stays on track.
Conclusion
There is no way to access the FERS Supplement before meeting the official age and service requirements. Federal employees must carefully plan if they intend to retire before age 62. Understanding the rules and preparing for the “bridge period” can help ensure financial security until your FERS Supplement or Social Security benefits begin.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Micah Shilanski, CFP®, is a distinguished financial planner known for his deep commitment to providing exceptional advisory services to his clients. As the founder of Plan Your Federal Retirement, Micah has dedicated his career to helping federal employees understand and optimize their benefits to ensure a secure and prosperous retirement. His expertise is widely recognized in the industry, making him a sought-after speaker and educator on financial planning and retirement strategies.
Micah’s approach is client-centered, focusing on creating personalized strategies that address each individual’s unique needs. His work emphasizes the importance of comprehensive planning, incorporating aspects of tax strategy, investment management, and risk assessment to guide clients toward achieving their financial goals.Micah Shilanski 00:00
Have you ever wondered how to get your FERS supplement early? Well, if you have, then stay tuned for this FERS Federal Fact Check. Hi, I’m Micah Shilanski with Plan Your Federal Retirement, Fred wrote in with a really good question that we should spend a little time talking about, and he Fred asked: Is it possible to request a waiver to access the FERS supplement two years early. My wife has about 32, 33 years of service, but is only 55, thanks! Fred, that is a wonderful question. Well, first, let’s talk a little bit about your benefits, right? Assuming that’s non special provisions, right? We’re under a normal FERS retirement. Let’s look at our first retirement rules. If your wife is 32, 33 years young, I’m gonna assume her MRA minimum retirement age is probably not 55 it’s probably somewhere between 56 and 57 let’s say it’s 57 on the late side, if she goes ahead and separate now she is vested for retirement, which is really good, but she is not eligible for an immediate pension, because you gotta meet one of three gates to be eligible for an immediate pension with no reduction in there. Number one, having MRA in at least 30 years of service, and again, MRA is 55 My apologies, right? But MRA in 30 years of federal service, age 60 with 20 years of federal service, age 62 with 5 years of federal service, or be offered a VERA a Voluntary Early Eetirement Action. So right now, based on this question, I would say she’s probably not eligible for an immediate pension, you lose a couple of things. One, you’re not eligible for the supplement at all in that particular circumstance, and not only that, you lose your health insurance into retirement, which is, my opinion, your best benefit that you have, because you have two requirements to keep your health insurance into retirement. Number one, you must retire with the eligibility of an immediate pension, and right now, just on the limited like the one sentence of data I have, it looks like your wife may not have that, so you’re going to lose health insurance, that’s a big deal! Number two, you must be in FEHB for 5 years prior to retirement, most federal employees kind of have that taken care of, so it’s that first one that I’m really concerned about. Now let’s change the circumstances a little bit, let’s say it was a VERA, a Voluntary Early Retirement Action, or, God forbid, a RIF, a Reduction in Force, a discontinued service. Now the rules are different any age in 25 years of service, or age 50 with 20 years of service. Well, your wife meets both of those requirements, so that means she would be eligible for an early retirement, she would be able to get her pension with no penalty, which is fantastic, but I’m not familiar with any waivers whatsoever to start that supplement early, the supplement would start, and this is also why I think your MRA is 57 because you had said, can she get it two years early, your supplement would start at your MRA, your Minimum Retirement Age, you want to continue until age 62, and it does have that income limitation that’s attached to it as well, so if you have earned income, they’re going to reduce that supplement. So really important to understand these benefits, understand how they work, the short answer is, no, there’s not access to get that supplement a little bit early, but a little bit of pause button on the limited one census information I have, let’s make sure she really qualifies for this immediate retirement, and you know what you’re moving into. As you guys know, our goal is to have another 1 million federal employees through the retirement, and we can only do that with your help. We want to make sure federal employees are getting great information about their benefits. Till next time, Happy Planning!