Federal Retirement Program & Services

Federal career employees receive retirement benefits through either the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) or the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). Both are defined benefit, contributory retirement systems. Which retirement system an employee is subject to is determined by the employee’s dates of service and position type. Both FERS and CSRS offer four retirement options: Early, Optional, Deferred, and Disability. In addition to these four, FERS also offers the Postponed Retirement option.
DCPAS offers retirement advisory services to DOD Benefits Service Centers and to certain former employees. The services provided include:

Deferred Retirement Estimates

DCPAS generates deferred annuity estimates upon request for former DOD employees who meet eligibility requirements for a deferred annuity, and have been separated from federal service for more than 120 days. Former DOD Employees are responsible for requesting the deferred annuity estimate, providing service history required to complete the estimate, and proving eligibility for a deferred annuity. Estimates are completed within 30 calendar days of receipt. Any estimate provided is an approximation and in no way replaces or substitutes the deferred annuity or estimate calculated by the Office of Personnel Management.

Guidance on Retirement Program Policy

DCPAS is committed to providing the most relevant information and guidance to its customers. We routinely:

Respond to inquiries from Benefits Officers, Benefits Service Centers, and employees regarding Federal laws and regulations governing FERS and CSRS.
Produce resource materials summarizing changes in policy and procedures.
Develop a variety of Benefits Reference Guides and Fact Sheets for the DOD community.
Prepare Numbered Messages, and Newsflash articles announcing newly published policy or procedural changes.
Develop Employee Benefits Handouts that DoD Components may use as a resource to aid employees with their retirement preparation.

Special Retirement Coverage Requests

Special retirement coverage (SRC) is a special benefit for firefighters, law enforcement positions and air traffic controllers. DCPAS provides guidance and advice to DoD Components on the SRC approval process and reviews all SRC requests to ensure regulatory compliance prior to approval by the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel & Readiness.

Retirement Training

DCPAS offers several retirement and benefits training courses. These courses include a variety of retirement topics and are designed to assist HR specialists in developing the knowledge needed to provide accurate employee benefits counseling. This training helps to build on program knowledge by providing hands on experience and a practical application.