U.S. · Federal employees (FERS)
FERS special retirement supplement calculator.
Estimate the bridge payment FERS retirees get before 62: the monthly amount, how long it runs, and what working after retirement does to it.
Your numbers
Enter the age-62 benefit from your Social Security statement. OPM computes its own figure, so use this to plan and your retirement estimate to confirm.
Result
What the supplement is
OPM's CSRS and FERS Handbook describes the retiree annuity supplement as a benefit paid until age 62 to certain FERS employees who retire before 62 on an immediate annuity. Its purpose is to give a portion of income before 62 similar to what the retiree would have received from Social Security at 62. It is separate from the basic annuity, and there is no CSRS equivalent.
How this is calculated
- Amount. The handbook multiplies a Social Security-style benefit by a fraction: total FERS civilian service, rounded to the nearest whole year and capped at 40, over 40. This tool takes your age-62 estimate as that benefit.
- Who gets it. At least one full calendar year of FERS service and an immediate annuity: MRA with 30 years, age 60 with 20, or a special provision. MRA+10 retirees, disability retirees, deferred annuitants and anyone retiring at 62 or later do not qualify.
- When it ends. The last day of the month you reach age 62, or the month before you would first be entitled to Social Security, whichever is earlier. OPM's FAQ adds that it stops even if you delay claiming Social Security.
- Earnings test. The supplement is cut $1 for every $2 earned above the exempt amount, which matches the Social Security earnings test; the 2026 figure is $24,480. Earnings are wages plus net self-employment income. The cut cannot exceed the supplement.
Worked example
Estimated Social Security benefit at 62 of $1,600 a month and 30 years of FERS service gives $1,600 × 30/40 = $1,200 a month, or $14,400 a year. Retiring at 57 means 60 months of payments, $72,000 in total. If the retiree earns $40,000 in a year, that is $15,520 over the exempt amount, so the supplement is cut $7,760 and the year's supplement drops to $6,640, or $553.33 a month.
Why your number may differ
The handbook is explicit that OPM does not use your actual Social Security record. It builds a full-career earnings history from FERS basic pay plus deemed wages, indexes it, and applies the Social Security formula, including the maximum early-retirement reduction. A statement figure that includes earlier private-sector years can run higher or lower. Treat the result as a planning range, and ask your agency for the official estimate.
Timing of the earnings cut
The handbook says a reduction in a given year is based on the previous year's earnings, and it starts with the year after you first became entitled. This tool shows the annual effect rather than the month it lands. Law enforcement officers, firefighters and air traffic controllers who retire under special provisions are not subject to the cut until they reach their MRA.
What this does not cover
- The basic annuity (see the FERS pension calculator) and Social Security claiming choices (see the claiming break-even calculator).
- The OPM earnings history reconstruction, annual indexing, and the first-year cap rule on reductions.
- Military service credit, which counts only when covered by a USERRA deposit.
Sources
Retrieved 2026-10-26. Each page was opened and read against the claim next to it.
- OPM, CSRS and FERS Handbook, chapter 51: Retiree Annuity Supplement: eligibility, the years-over-40 fraction, duration, the exempt amount and the $1-for-$2 reduction.
- OPM FAQ: does the supplement continue after 62?: it stops at the end of the month before you turn 62 even if you delay Social Security.
- TNAADO: Social Security earnings test limit by year: the $24,480 2026 exempt amount (the handbook says the supplement uses the Social Security figure).
Common mix-ups
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Often assumedThe FERS supplement keeps coming until I decide to start Social Security.
What the source saysOPM says the annuity supplement stops at the end of the month before you turn 62, and that you are not required to apply for Social Security at 62 even though the supplement stops. Delaying Social Security means no supplement in between. [1]
Checked against these sources on .
Frequently asked questions
How is the FERS supplement calculated?
OPM adapts the Social Security formula to your FERS pay record, then multiplies by your FERS service rounded to a whole year and capped at 40, divided by 40. This tool uses your age-62 Social Security estimate in its place, so the result is approximate.
When does the FERS supplement end?
It is paid through the last day of the month in which you reach 62, or the month before you could first get Social Security, whichever is earlier. OPM says it stops at 62 even if you choose to claim Social Security later.
Who does not get the supplement?
Disability retirees, MRA+10 retirees, people with only a deferred annuity, and anyone retiring at 62 or later. You also need at least one full calendar year of FERS service.
What is the FERS supplement earnings limit in 2026?
The exempt amount is $24,480. Above it the supplement is reduced $1 for every $2 earned. The cut applies only to the supplement, not to your basic annuity.
What earnings count toward the limit?
Wages for services performed in the year plus net earnings from self-employment, less any self-employment loss. Annuity payments from OPM are not counted as earnings.
Is the supplement the same as Social Security?
No. It is paid by OPM with your annuity and approximates the part of a Social Security benefit earned in federal service. Your actual Social Security benefit is a separate payment that starts when you apply.
Estimate only
This is an educational estimate, not benefits, tax or legal advice. OPM, DFAS, the Thrift Savings Plan or your plan administrator makes the binding calculation, and rules change. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.