How y'all doing?
I'm feeling really crappy and depressed. With just 3 yrs to go, they are pulling the subsidy. I almost can't believe this is happening. Yeah we have great benefits but that's supposed to make up for the relatively lower pay.
Plus, when they went from csrs to fers, the reduced contribution plus paying SS was supposed to equal the csrs contribution and the retirement benefit would be based on fers, SS, and tsp. Now the SS portion is gone essentially raising retirement age to 62.
Changing the terms under which I've worked for 27 yrs with just a few weeks notice is so hostile. I'm just so upset.
Yeah, the broadside attack on federal workers, agencies, and our benefits is upsetting, especially moving the goalposts. Moreover, many of the administration's foreign policies are unconscionable; although I'm in the Foreign Service assigned overseas, fortunately I'm not in a position where I have to defend such policies publicly.
It’s not done yet. That’s what I keep telling myself.
It could be worse. I’m a special category employee , my paperwork is in as of yesterday for a July 18 retirement date (the Friday after I’m eligible). In theory I’m suppose to get the RAS for 15 years. If the bill is not changed, and the we want to sign the budget on July 4th that will mean my decision 25 years ago to start 2 weeks later, I was offered a July 3rd start will mean I would no longer get the supplement.
I’m not depressed about it, I’m OK either way, but I’m angry, very very and Fork you Representative Comer.
Now's a good time to contact your elected Representatives and let them know your opinion. If Comer is your Rep., then that forker especially needs to hear from you.
Also, continue to support your union, or what's left of it, to help them defend our cause.
I know it is uncertain, but this article gives me some comfort for those of us who are already employed and counting on our benefits:
But Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, who opposed the proposals’ application to current employees, said he has spoken to other House Republicans and expressed confidence the measures would ultimately be stripped from the bill before its passage.
“Making changes to pensions and retirement benefits in the middle of someone’s employment is wrong,” he said. “Changing the rules, especially when someone has already been vested in their benefits, is wrong. Employee benefits are not a gift, they’re earned . . . I understand the need for reform, and we can certainly have changes occur for the benefits of new hires, but for current employees, to change the rules for people in the middle of the game is just wrong.”
https://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2025/04/house-republicans-advance-plan-cut-federal-worker-benefits-and-undermine-civil-service-protections/404969/
Unfortunately, Rep. Turner was the only Republican voting against the bill in committee.
My understanding from the govexec article cited above , and fedweek, is that the proposal for the elimination of the annuity supplement, is that it goes away on the day the budget bill passes. Meaning if a person hasn't retired by that day, they won't get it.
I hope Mr. Turner of Ohio is correct, but I haven't seen any public proclamations from any other representatives in his political party supporting his views.
Well I'm 14 months from MRA, certainly the budget will be passed before then. I am unhappy about the supposed 0% raise next year, and the proposed employee contribution changes will basically stick me with a 3.6% loss in income. But it is the supplement, that most bites. Had figured with that approx. $1500/mo for 5 years, I could get a part time job making $20K annually, and get by until I pulled SS @ 62yrs.
I suppose this just shows that my projected retirement date was unsupportable.[?]
I've agreed some time ago, to stay in our large expensive house for another 2+ years at least, until child is done with highschool. Am ready to downsize residence but tell myself it's better not to uproot family, kid is happy where we are/ school / friends / sports / etc. Am trying to salve the wound by telling myself that if I stay working full time, than i can actively { cash flow } contribute $$ for childs' future college / trade school without pulling money from TSP
It would be nice if there were some sympathy / agreement that this is a mean spirited move by the gov't, from my spouse - but I've basically only heard " this happens to folks in the private sector - and - most people retire @ 62 anyway ". Coupled with their refusal to put any of their income into retirement savings - it is doubly depressing....
Again, it's not set in stone yet.
I can see not wanting to uproot family. Can you trim your budget in other areas to adjust? Have you begun arranging things to ensure your child qualifies for the highest amount of financial aid possible?
Federal workers see the same impact of inflation as other workers, so I agree it is highly inappropriate to freeze federal salaries.
I'm so fucking tired of these stupid apples-to-oranges comparisons of government work to the goddamn private sector.
The Federal government doesn't need to turn a profit. Much of its work depends on political collaboration, consensus, and compromise. It does things that market participants cannot, won't, or cannot be trusted to do. Security requirements often trump expediency, and security measures are costly and slow.
Federal workers aren't paid to be efficient, but to follow, enforce, and carry out laws. Federal research grant recipients are paid to carry out research in all sorts of areas, much of which leads to zero benefit; but this is the nature of research.
Until recently, both parties recognized that federal work is different from private sector work, and that highly-educated workers need some enticement to work at the lower salaries the USG can offer. Benefits rightly made up some of the difference, in exchange for a professional workforce which did its job regardless of the political winds, and in exchange for giving up private-sector rights, such as the right to strike.
Finally, as many stories on this message board and elsewhere (e.g., livingafi.com, RIP) describe how fucked-up life in private-sector employment already is in the United States. To me it seems like a model we should not argue for expanding, and certainly not to organizations which are completely separate beasts.
I was going to pull the plug at 60. If they get rid of the special supplement I will need to work until 62, 63. I am seriously bummed so trying not to think about it.
Again, can you trim expenses? Find a side hustle? Do you have TSP, IRA, HSA, RE, or other sources of income you can tap?
I FIREd myself from federal service more than 7 years ago. I will finally reach MRA at the end of June. I submitted my application for deferred retirement in mid April, with a target start date of July 1. I got an acknowledgement letter 3 weeks after I submitted the application, but haven't heard anything else yet. I had wanted to wait a bit longer before claiming my pension, but I figured with the current FU attitude toward federal employees/retirees, I had better get what I can when I can.
Of course the SS supplement was never a possibility for me, so that little poison pill doesn't affect me one way or the other. But I sure hope I at least get the pension they promised me when I signed up 22 years ago.
I understand your feelings, and your pension is enshrined in law. Also, given the way humans are wired - we have a harder time dreading loss than desiring gains - I'm not sure whether your fear of losing the pension is completely rational. Waiting would probably provide higher benefts.
You *should* definitely get what's coming to you without having to resort to litigation.
Speaking of, though I'm not an attorney, the status of federal law when we began our employment seems to me to serve as an employment contract which cannot be withdrawn without agreement. Although public-sector unions are currently prioritizing stopping reductions to federal benefits, it seems to me that public-sector workers and their unions have reasonable prospects of success litigating this, should such reductions pass into law. I'd be very interested in hearing from experts in the field about this.
I've now reached my MRA (yay!) but will only attain my years-of-service requirement next year. For multiple reasons, I'm hoping to hang on until the second half of next year. As I've mentioned elsewhere, while I definitely value the pension and the annuity supplement, I value the FEHB continuing into retirement even more.
With the children out of the house and our beyond sufficient asset portfolio, I've gradually reduced my FEGLI coverage and am now at Basic. I thought about keeping it into retirement, especially since it becomes free after age 65 if I select the 75% reduction of benefits, but it's probably not a great expected payoff, unless I die young - not a bet I plan on or hope to win.
Given the prospect of reductions in Federal benefits, government workers would do well to trim fat in their budgets and contribute as much as feasible to TSP, IRAs, and HSAs.
Edited to fix grammar.
