FERS Retirement: SF-50 codes for air traffic controllers, firefighters, and law enforcement officers. For federal employees under special retirement provisions.
Retiring from the Federal Government Under Special Provisions.
Due to the physical and mental demands of certain jobs in the US federal government, special retirement provisions are imposed on Air Traffic Controllers, Law Enforcement Officers, and Federal Firefighters. Unlike regular federal workers who are under FERS (the federal employee retirement system), those with special retirement provisions have different eligibility requirements and also a different code on their SF-50, which is the application for retirement sent to OPM when a fed ends their employment with a federal agency.
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SF-50 Codes for Federal Firefighters, LEOs, & ATCs
What is the SF-50 Code for Air Traffic Controllers?
The SF-50 code for Air-Traffic Controllers (ATCs) is L.
What is the SF-50 Code for Federal Law Enforcement Officers and Firefighter?
The SF-50 code for law enforcement officers (LEOs) and firefighters (FFs) is the same: M.
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Special Retirement Provisions: FERS, TSP, and Social Security
Retirement Eligibility and Mandatory Separation
To be eligible for a federal pension, an ATC, LEO, or FF must have at least 20 years of creditable service in their respective position and be at least age 50. With 25 years of service, employees in these positions can collect an immediate pension at any age.
While federal firefighters and LEOs are mandated to retire by the age of 57, ATCs are subject to a mandatory retirement age of 56, with the possibility of waiving this requirement in specific circumstances. Special retirement provisions were established as an acknowledgement of the high-stress nature of these jobs, aiming to provide financial security post-service. (Because of the mandatory retirement age, all special provisions employees who were covered under the old CSRS retirement system are already retired.)
Knowledge is Confidence!
Calculating Retirement Benefits for Special Provisions Employees
The annuity for those retiring under special provisions is computed using the same formula as regular FERS, taking their years of creditable service, multiplying it by the high-3 average salary, and multiplying that by a certain factor. The formula for one these positions provides a higher percentage than the standard FERS annuity computation (which is either 1.0% or 1.1%). Under special retirement provisions, the annuity is calculated with a 1.7% multiple for the first 20 years of service, plus 1.0% for each additional year of service.
Check out our FERS Calculator to estimate your retirement income.
The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) for Federal Firefighters, LEOs, and ATCs.
Retiring under FERS is often depicted as a three-legged stool, with the FERS annuity, the TSP, and Social Security being the three “legs” that are to provide income after leaving federal service. When it comes to accessing money from the TSP in retirement, regular FERS workers can’t make penalty-free withdraws until they are 59 and 1/2 years old. Under the FERS Special Retirement Provisions, those who are eligible to retire and do so can begin taking TSP money without worrying about an age-restrictive penalty. While there used to be a rule that special provisions employees had to wait until 50 before they could withdraw from their traditional TSP account penalty-free, this rule was done away with at the end of 2022.
We have a TSP calculator, too. Click here to estimate your retirement income from the TSP.
The Special Retirement Supplement (SRS)
While not just ATCs, LEOs, and FFs are eligible for the FERS supplement, the benefit was designed with these employees in mind. Because Social Security retirement benefits are not available until at least age 62, the FERS annuity supplement was created to fill the income gap this causes for special provisions workers. Check out this article for more information.
Click here to try our FERS Supplement Calculator.
Health and Life Insurance for FERS Special Provisions
When it comes to health care and life insurance, the rules for ATCs, LEOs, and FFs retiring under FERS are the same for regular federal workers. FEHB, FEDVIP, FLTCIP, and FEGLI are all available in retirement and the same regulations apply. For health insurance (FEHB), and dental and vision coverage (FEDVIP), coverage must be maintained for at least 5 years before entering retirement. Life insurance policies (FEGLI) can be kept but can also become gradually more expensive if maintained – especially FEGLI part B coverage. Long-term care policies from FLCTIP are currently on pause regarding accepting new applications, but if you have an existing policy, it can be kept in retirement, too.
FEHB Open Season is looming! Register for our Special Open Season Webinar.
SF-50 Job Classification Codes
What is the significance of the SF-50 form?
The Standard Form 50 (SF-50), is a crucial document for federal employees preparing to retire. It records various personnel actions throughout an employee’s federal service, including appointments, promotions, and changes in retirement coverage.
Retirement Code on the SF-50
To find your retirement coverage code on the SF-50, also known as the Notice of Personnel Action, locate the block labeled “Retirement Plan” (Box 30). This block contains a code that indicates whether or not a federal employee is considered special provisions.
As mentioned above, an “M” means the potential retiree is either a Law Enforcement Officer or a Federal Firefighter. An “L” means Air-Traffic Controller.
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Reach Out to Us!
If you have additional federal benefit questions, contact our team of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) and Chartered Federal Employee Benefits Consultants (ChFEBC℠). At PlanWell, we are federal employee financial advisors with a focus on retirement planning. Learn more about our process designed for the career fed.
Preparing for federal retirement? Check out our scheduled federal retirement workshops. Sign up for our no-cost federal retirement webinars here! Make sure to plan ahead and reserve your seat for our FERS webinar, held every three weeks. Want to have PlanWell host a federal retirement seminar for your agency? Reach out, and we’ll collaborate with HR to arrange an on-site FERS seminar.
Want to fast-track your federal retirement plan? Skip the FERS webinar and start a one-on-one conversation with a ChFEBC today. You can schedule a one-on-one meeting here.
