Collapse to view only § 831.1002 - Definitions.

§ 831.1001 - Purpose.

This subpart sets forth the provisions concerning employees and Members who are simultaneously covered by the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) tax and the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). Except as provided under this subpart, these employees and Members are treated the same as other covered employees and Members under the CSRS.

§ 831.1002 - Definitions.

Contribution and benefit base means the contribution and benefit base in effect with respect to the tax year involved, as determined under section 230 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 430).

CSRS means the Civil Service Retirement System established under subchapter III of chapter 83 of title 5, United States Code.

Employee means an employee subject to CSRS.

Federal service means service covered under CSRS and subject to the OASDI tax by operation of section 101 of Public Law 98-21 (42 U.S.C. 410(a)). Federal service does not include—

(1) Service performed before January 1, 1984;

(2) Service subject to the OASDI tax only (that is, no simultaneous CSRS deductions), except in the case of an employee or Member who elected not to have any CSRS deductions withheld from salary pursuant to section 208(a)(1)(A) of Public Law 98-168, 97 Stat. 1111, or section 2206(b) of Public Law 98-369, 98 Stat. 1059, (relating to certain senior officials; and

(3) Service subject to the full rate of CSRS deductions (7, 7 1/2, or 8 percent) and the OASDI tax, pursuant to an election under section 208(a)(1)(B) of Public Law 98-168, 97 Stat. 1111, except in the case of an employee or Member who elects to become subject to this subpart under section 301(b) of Public Law 99-335, 100 Stat. 599.

Federal wages means basic pay, as defined under 5 U.S.C. 8331(4), of an employee or Member performing Federal service.

Member means a Member of Congress as defined by 5 U.S.C. 8331(2).

OASDI tax means, with respect to Federal wages, the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance tax imposed under section 3101(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (31 U.S.C. 3101(a)).

§ 831.1003 - Deductions from pay.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the employing agency, the Secretary of the Senate, or the Clerk of the House of Representatives must withhold 7 percent of an employee's Federal wages to cover both the OASDI tax and the CSRS deduction. The difference between the OASDI tax and the full amount withheld under this paragraph is the CSRS deduction.

(b) For a Congressional employee as defined by 5 U.S.C. 2107 and a law enforcement officer or firefighter as defined by 5 U.S.C. 8331, the appropriate percentage under paragraph (a) of this section is 7 1/2 percent.

(c) For a Member, a judge of the United States Court of Military Appeals, a United States magistrate, and a bankruptcy judge as defined by 5 U.S.C. 8331(22), the appropriate percentage under paragraph (a) of this section is 8 percent.

(d) For any amount of Federal wages paid after reaching the contribution and benefit base calculated including all wages, but before reaching the contribution and benefit base calculated using only Federal wages, the amount withheld under this section is the difference between 7, 7 1/2, or 8 percent, as appropriate, and the OASDI tax rate, even though the Federal wages in question are not subject to the OASDI tax.

(e) For any amount of Federal wages paid after reaching the contribution and benefit base calculated on the basis of Federal wages only, the full percentage required under paragraph (a), (b), or (c) of this section (7, 7 1/2, or 8 percent) must be withheld from Federal wages.

§ 831.1004 - Agency contributions.

The employing agency, the Secretary of the Senate, and the Clerk of the House of Representatives must submit to OPM, in accordance with instructions issued by OPM, a contribution to the CSRS equal to the amount required to be contributed for the employee or Member under 5 U.S.C. 8334(a)(1) as if the employee or Member were not subject to the OASDI tax.

§ 831.1005 - Offset from nondisability annuity.

(a) OPM will reduce the annuity of an individual who has performed Federal service, if the individual is entitled, or on proper application would be entitled, to old-age benefits under title II of the Social Security Act.

(b) The reduction required under paragraph (a) of this section is effective on the 1st day of the month during which the employee—

(1) Is entitled to an annuity under CSRS; and

(2) Is entitled, or on proper application would be entitled, to old-age benefits under title II of the Social Security Act.

(c) Subject to paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section, the amount of the reduction required under paragraph (a) of this section is the lesser of—

(1) The difference between—

(i) The Social Security old-age benefit for the month referred to in paragraph (b) of this section; and

(ii) The old-age benefit that would be payable to the individual for the month referred to in paragraph (b) of this section, excluding all wages from Federal service, and assuming the annuitant was fully insured (as defined by section 215(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 414(a)); or

(2) The product of—

(i) The old-age benefit to which the individual is entitled or would, on proper application, be entitled; and

(ii) A fraction—

(A) The numerator of which is the annuitant's total Federal service, rounded to the nearest whole number of years not exceeding 40 years; and

(B) The denominator of which is 40.

(d) Cost-of-living adjustments under 5 U.S.C. 8340 occurring after the effective date of the reduction required under paragraph (a) of this section will be based on only the annuity remaining after reduction under this subpart.

(e) The amounts for paragraphs (c)(1)(i), (c)(1)(ii), and (c)(2)(i) of this section are computed without regard to subsections (b) through (l) of section 203 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 403) (relating to reductions in Social Security benefits), and without applying the provisions of the second sentence of section 215(a)(7)(B)(i) or section 214(d)(5)(ii) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 415(a)(7)(B)(i) or 415(d)(5)(ii) (relating to part of the computation of the Social Security windfall elimination provisions).

(f) OPM will accept the determination of the Social Security Administration, submitted in a form prescribed by OPM, concerning entitlement to Social Security benefits and the date thereof.

§ 831.1006 - Offset from disability or survivor annuity.

(a) OPM will reduce the disability annuity (an annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8337) of an individual who performed Federal service, if the individual is (or would on proper application be) entitled to disability payments under section 223 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 423).

(b)(1) Before an application for disability retirement under 5 U.S.C. 8337 can be finally approved in the case of an employee who has Federal service, the applicant must provide OPM with—

(i) Satisfactory evidence that the applicant has filed an application for disability insurance benefits under section 223 of the Social Security Act; or

(ii) An official statement from the Social Security Administration that the individual is not insured for disability insurance benefits as defined in section 223(c)(1) of the Social Security Act.

(2) A disability retirement application under 5 U.S.C. 8337 will be dismissed when OPM is notified by the Social Security Administration that the application referred to in paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section has been withdrawn unless the evidence described in paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section has been provided.

(c) OPM will reduce a survivor annuity (an annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8341) based on the service of an individual who performed Federal service, if the survivor annuitant is entitled, or on proper application would be entitled, to survivor benefits under section 202 (d), (e), or (f) (relating to children's, widow's, and widowers' benefits, respectively) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 202 (d), (e), or (f)).

(d) The reduction required under paragraphs (a) and (c) of this section begins (or is reinstated) on the 1st day of the month during which the disability or survivor annuitant—

(1) Is entitled to disability or survivor annuity under CSRS; and

(2) Is entitled, or on proper application would be entitled, to disability or survivor benefits under the Social Security Act provisions mentioned in paragraphs (a) and (c) of this section, respectively.

(e) The reduction under paragraphs (a) and (c) of this section will be computed and adjusted in a manner consistent with the provisions of § 831.1005(c) through (e).

(f) A reduction under paragraph (a) or (c) of this section stops on the date entitlement to the disability or survivor benefits under title II of the Social Security Act terminates. In the case of a disability or survivor annuitant who has not made proper application for the Social Security benefit, the reduction under paragraph (a) or (c) of this section stops on the date entitlement to such disability or survivor benefits would otherwise terminate. If a Social Security benefit is reduced under any provision of the Social Security Act, even if reduced to zero, entitlement to that benefit is not considered to have terminated.

(g) OPM will accept the determination or certification of the Social Security Administration, submitted in a form prescribed by OPM, concerning entitlement to Social Security disability or survivor benefits and the beginning and ending dates thereof.

(h) If a disability annuitant who is not entitled to disability benefits under title II of the Social Security Act subsequently becomes entitled to old-age benefits under the Social Security Act, a reduction under § 831.1005 will begin on the 1st day of the month during which the annuitant becomes entitled, or on proper application would be entitled, to Social Security old-age insurance benefits.