The APWU and other federal unions have worked with Congress for many decades to ensure retirement income security for employees who spend their careers in government service.
Today, most postal employees are eligible to participate in one of two federal retirement benefit programs:
The u003ca href=u0022http://www.opm.gov/retire/pre/csrs/index.aspu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noopeneru0022u003eCivil Service Retirement Systemu003c/au003e (CSRS), which provides benefits for most workers hired before 1984.
The u003ca href=u0022http://www.opm.gov/retire/pre/fers/index.aspu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noopeneru0022u003eFederal Employee Retirement Systemu003c/au003e (FERS), which covers all workers hired after 1984.
Though FERS pays a smaller monthly benefit than CSRS, FERS retirees also receive Social Security and Thrift Savings Plan payments.
Whichever plan you are enrolled in, your retirement benefits are administered by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Regardless of how many more years you may work before retirement, it’s a good idea to understand all the benefits you earn and to plan early.
For complete information about the CSRS and FERS, visit OPM’s Federal Retirement Programs Web site, https://www.opm.gov/retirement-center/, or visit your USPS personnel office.
