If you are repaying a refund of FERS deductions, paying a deposit for
certain non-covered service that became subject to mandatory Social
Security tax as the result of the Social Security Amendments of 1983,
or you are repaying a refund of deductions for CSRS Offset service
which will be credited as FERS service, or you are waiving credit for
service under the Foreign Service Pension System or the Federal
Reserve Board's Bank Plan
, in order to credit the service under FERS,
the amount of the deposit or redeposit payment is the amount that would
have been deducted from your salary under FERS, plus interest. The
deduction rate for most FERS service is listed below. For some service
subject to special retirement provisions, however, the deduction rate is
0.5% higher than the rate shown in the chart.
Dates Service Was Performed
Payment Rate
Through 12/31/87 1.3%
1/1/1988 - 12/31/1989 .94%
1/1/1990 - 12/31/1998 .8%
1/1/1999 - 12/31/1999 1.05%
1/1/2000 - 12/31/2000 1.2%
After 2000 .8%
Interest is computed from the midpoint of each period of service included in
the computation, or from the date the refund was paid. Interest accrues
annually on the outstanding balance, and is compounded annually until the
outstanding balance is deposited. Interest is charged to the date of
deposit/redeposit or commencing date of annuity, whichever is earlier.
(Interest on Peace Corps/ VISTA service credit deposit begins to accrue on
October 1, 1995, or 2 years after the date you first became a Federal
employee, whichever is later.)
Interest is charged at the following rates:
Before 1948 4%
1948 - 1984
3%
1985 - Present A variable rate determined by the Department of
Treasury. The variable rate for any year equals the
overall average yield to the fund from retirement
securities during the preceding fiscal year.
Payment is optional. You do not have to pay if you do not want to do so.
If you were employed under FERS on/after October 28, 2009 and do
not pay a redeposit for a period of refunded FERS service or a deposit
for refunded CSRS service that is being credited under FERS rules,
you will not receive credit for it in the computation of your annuity,
however, you will receive credit toward your eligibility to receive an
annuity and computing your average salary. If you were not employed
under FERS on/after October 28, 2009, you cannot pay a redeposit for
a period of refunded FERS service and the service will not be used to
compute your benefit, toward your eligibility to receive an annuity or in
computing your average salary.
If you were not employed under FERS on/after October 28, 2009, and
do not pay a deposit for a period of refunded CSRS service that is
being credited under FERS rules, you will not receive any credit for it
toward retirement, including your eligibility to receive an annuity and
computing your average salary.
If you do not pay for a period of FERS service where no FERS
deductions were withheld from your pay, you will not receive any credit
for it toward retirement, including your eligibility to receive an annuity
and computing your average salary.
Payment for civilian service can be made by -
You while you are employed by the Federal government and covered
by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS).
You when you retire. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will
automatically compute any amount payable when you retire and give
you an opportunity to pay it.
You, after you leave the Federal government, provided you are eligible
for a deferred annuity because you have at least five years of paid
civilian service when you leave. If you are not eligible for a deferred
annuity, but you have at least 5 years of combined paid and unpaid
civilian service, you may pay a deposit for the unpaid service provided
you apply before leaving FERS covered service.
Your surviving spouse if you die as an employee or separated
employee and your spouse is eligible for a survivor annuity benefit.
OPM will automatically compute any amount payable and give your
spouse an opportunity to pay it.
Payment by you or your spouse must be completed before final processing
of retirement or survivor benefits.
Payment cannot be withdrawn unless (1) you become eligible for and
obtain a refund of all your FERS retirement deductions, or (2) you retire and
are eligible to choose an alternative annuity and lump sum payment
of your retirement deductions. If you make payment, and later receive a
refund, you cannot redeposit the money again. This applies to refunds of
payments for both civilian and military service. If you do not complete
payment for a period of service before your annuity begins, OPM will refund
the partial payment, plus interest, at the time of retirement.
How to Apply and Make Payment
If you are a Federal employee, send your completed application to your
department or agency because they must certify it. Please do not file an
application if you plan to retire within six months. OPM will give you an
opportunity to make payment when it computes your annuity.
If you are not currently a Federal employee, send your completed
application directly to:
Office of Personnel Management
Retirement Operations Center
P.O. Box 45
Boyers, PA 16017-0045.
Instructions for making payment, together with a bill for the amount due,
will be sent to you as soon as OPM processes your application.
Installment payments of at least $50.00 are acceptable. However, since
interest is charged on the unpaid balance, you have to pay additional
interest if you make installment payments.
Direct Debit Payments can be made from your checking or savings
account. If you want to authorize direct debit payments, complete form RI
16-28, Authorization for Direct Payments, which is found on our website at
www.opm.gov/forms. If you prefer, you can call us on 1-888-767-6738
(TTY: 1-855-887-4957) and we'll send you a copy of this form.
Additional Information and assistance in completing this application may
be obtained from your human resources office. If this source of information
is not available to you, you can call OPM on 1-888-767-6738 (TTY:
1-855-887-4957) Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM to 7:45 PM Eastern
Time. If you prefer, you can write to:
Office of Personnel Management
Retirement Operations Center
P.O. Box 45
Boyers, PA 16017-0045
Privacy Act Statement
Title 5, U.S. Code, Chapter 84, authorizes the solicitation of this
information. The data you furnish will be used to determine your eligibility
to make payments for retirement credit to the Civil Service Retirement
Fund, to identify records properly associated with your application, to obtain
additional information if necessary, and to maintain a uniquely identifiable
claim file.
The information may be shared and is subject to verification via paper,
electronic media, or through the use of computer matching programs, with
national, state, local, or other charitable or social security administrative
agencies to determine benefits under their programs. It may also be
shared and verified as noted above with law enforcement agencies when
they are investigating a violation of civil or criminal law.
Executive Order 9397 (November 22, 1943) authorizes the use of the
Social Security Number. Failure to furnish the requested data will delay or
prevent action on this application.
Public Burden Statement
We estimate this form takes an average of 30 minutes per response to
complete including the time for reviewing the completed form. Send
comments regarding our estimate or any other aspect of this form,
including suggestions for reducing completion time, to the Office of
Personnel Management, Retirement Services Publications Team,
(3206-0134), Washington, DC, 20415-3430. The OMB number,
3206-0134, is currently valid. OPM may not collect this information, and
you are not required to respond, unless this number is displayed.
