February 2013 - Benefits Newsletter
What's New?
1. Benefits Calendar Of Events
Topics Of Interest:
2. Do You Owe Money To The Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) Or Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) Fund?
3. What Happens To My Health Benefits And Life Insurance Coverage If I Go Into Leave Without Pay (LWOP) Status?
4. Is Your State Tax Withholding Correct?
5. What Is Temporary Continuation Of Coverage (TCC) Under The Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program?
6. Employment And Income Verification – Use TALX – The Work Number®
7. Why Do I Need A myPay PIN And How Can I Get One?
8. Where Can I Find Information On Pay And Leave?
Where Do I Go If I Have Questions About My Benefits?
9. How Can I Get In Touch With My Benefits Contact?
10. Previous NIH Benefits Information – Did You Know? E-mails
What's New?
1. Benefits Calendar of Events
Topics Of Interest:
2. Do you owe money to the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) fund?
If you are covered under CSRS, you must file an Application to Make Deposit or Redeposit, SF-2803 
. If you have deposit service prior to October 1, 1982, the period of service is fully creditable for eligibility to retire and for calculation of your annuity. If you choose not to pay the deposit (calculated based on what you would have paid into the retirement system had you been subject to it, plus interest) your annuity will be reduced by 10% of the amount owed at retirement. If you have deposit service after September 30, 1982, the period of service is fully creditable for eligibility to retire, but is not creditable for calculating your annuity unless you elect to pay the deposit. If you have redeposit service prior to March 1, 1991, and elect not to redeposit the monies, the service is still creditable for both eligibility to retire and for calculation of your benefit. However, your annuity will be actuarially reduced by the amount of redeposit owed. If you have redeposit service on or after March 1, 1991, the service covered by the refund will be creditable for eligibility to retire. However, you must pay the redeposit to get credit for the service for calculation of your annuity.
If you are covered under FERS, you must file an Application to Make Service Credit Payment, SF-3108 . If you have deposit service prior to January 1, 1989, you have the option to pay a deposit and “buy” credit for that period of service. If you elect not to make the deposit, the service will not be used for determining eligibility to retire or for calculating your retirement benefit. If you have deposit service on or after January 1, 1989, it cannot be used for determining eligibility to retire or for calculating your retirement benefit. If you requested and received a refund of your FERS retirement contributions, you have the option to redeposit the monies. If you elect not to make a redeposit, the service covered by the refund will not be used for determining eligibility to retire or for calculating your retirement benefit.
Once you have submitted your application to your Benefits Contact and it has been filed with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), you may contact OPM directly at 888-767-6738 to check the status of your request. If you have already received a statement from OPM, you can contact them for instant up-to-date information regarding the amount owed, including interest, and OPM will generate an updated statement for you.
3. What happens to my health benefits and life insurance coverage if I go into leave without pay (LWOP) status?
Your health benefits coverage will continue for up to 365 days of non-pay status. You have the option of terminating your coverage during the period of non-pay status or continuing the coverage. If you elect to continue your coverage, you will incur a debt or must make direct payments to DFAS while in non-pay status. You will need to sign a Notice of Intent Agreement and submit it to your Benefits Contact. This does not apply if you are claiming compensation from the Department of Labor because of a work-related injury or illness. For more information on LWOP and health benefits under these circumstances, please contact the NIH Workers’ Compensation Specialist on 301- 496-2404.
Your life insurance coverage will continue for up to 365 days of non-pay status. You do not have to pay for the coverage while in non-pay status. The agency will pay for you, and you will not be required to reimburse the agency for this benefit. If you do not return within 365 days of non-pay status, your FEGLI coverage will be terminated; however, you have the option of converting to an individual policy. For additional information on the impact of LWOP on your Federal benefits, refer to the Fact Sheet . Prior to going on LWOP, it is very important that you notify your Benefits Contact. If you are claiming compensation from the Department of Labor, please contact the NIH Workers’ Compensation Specialist for additional information.
4. Is your state tax withholding correct?
When was the last time you checked the tax withholdings on your Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) for accuracy? Confirming that state taxes are being withheld for the correct state is extremely important. If you fail to make a state tax withholding election, the withholdings automatically default to the state of Maryland. An address change from one state to another completed in myPay does not automatically change your state tax withholding. If you move to or from Maryland, you must complete a state tax form for your new state and submit it to the Benefits and Payroll Liaison Branch (Bldg 31/Rm B3C23) for processing. However, for movement between other states and/or the District, you must change your state tax information in myPay (DFAS) by selecting State Withholding. After entering your updated information select Save. You can access your Leave and Earnings Statement in myPay (DFAS) to view your withholdings. Should you discover taxes are being withheld for the wrong state, complete the appropriate state tax withholding form or use myPay as instructed above. Additionally, you should immediately notify BPLB, 301-496-2404, of the problem. With sufficient notification, withholding problems reported prior to the end of the calendar year can be corrected.
5. What is temporary continuation of coverage (TCC) under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program?
TCC is available to: 1) employees who lose their FEHB Program coverage because they leave their Federal jobs; 2) children who lose their FEHB Program family member status because they reach age 26; and 3) former spouses who lose their FEHB Program family member status because of divorce or annulment. TCC allows former employees to continue their FEHB Program coverage for up to 18 months, and children and former spouses to continue FEHB Program coverage for up to 36 months. For information about TCC, review the TCC pamphlet (OPM). For further information, please get in touch with your Benefits Contact.
6. Employment and income verification – use TALX – the work number®
The Work Number®, is an automated system that provides proof of employment and income to verifiers. Workforce Solutions is widely known and used by over 50,000 entities including most major financial institutions, mortgage lenders, leasing companies, and private corporations to verify employment and income status of employees. The system provides a secure way for verifiers to obtain your employment information and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Before your information can be released to a verifier, you must give your authorization. NIH employees can use Workforce Solutions - The Work Number® in two easy steps:
- Authorize the verification by completing the verifier’s (lender, bank, etc.) authorization form.
- Provide the verifier with:
- Workforce Solutions –The Work Number® access options - www.theworknumber.com or 1-800-367-5690
- HHS Employer Code: 14775
- Salary Key (if needed) (A salary key is a six digit electronic signature created by the employee that is good for a one time use by a verifier)
7. Why Do I Need A myPay PIN And How Can I Get One?
It is very important to have access to your myPay (DFAS) account so that you can view your Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) each pay day to verify that the correct deductions are being withheld and that your leave balances on your LES match the balances in ITAS. You must also use myPay to make changes to your home address, TSP contributions, direct deposit of pay, allotments, Federal tax withholdings, and Open Season health benefits elections. Additionally, some state tax withholdings must be made via myPay (DFAS). If you move to or from Maryland, you must complete a state tax form for your new state and submit it to the Benefits and Payroll Liaison Branch (Bldg 31/Rm B3C23) for processing. However, for movement between other states and/or the District, you must use myPay (DFAS).
To access the system, you will need your Login and Password. If you have forgotten your Login or Password, click the “Forgot Your Login ID?” or “Forgot or Need a Password?” link on the left side of the myPay (DFAS) screen. Using this method, your Password can be e-mailed to you if you pre-registered your e-mail address, or it can be mailed to your current home address of record within 7 to 10 business days
A second option for requesting a Password is to send a fax to 216-367-3549. You will need to include in your request your name, SSN, a daytime phone number, a copy of your NIH ID Card, and you must sign the fax. Upon receiving your fax, the Defense Finance & Accounting Service (DFAS) will reset your Password using a temporary Password. Your temporary Password will be 8 numbers, the last 4 numbers of your SSN twice. You will not receive a notice from DFAS that your Password has been reset. Simply wait at least two business days before logging into myPay (DFAS) to use your temporary Password. Upon logging in, you will be prompted to reset your Password. Information pertaining to establishing an acceptable Login and Password can be obtained at myPay FAQs (DFAS).
If you encounter problems with your Login and/or Password or technical issues using myPay (DFAS), contact the DFAS Centralized Customer Support Unit toll-free at 1-888-332-7411. This support line is available Monday through Friday, 7:00 A.M. to 6:30 P.M. Eastern Standard Time. They can provide assistance on how to use the options available to you in myPay. They will also provide support for establishing and changing your Login and/or Password.
8. Where can I find information on pay and leave?
You can find a wealth of pay and leave information on our website. Additionally, you can find information on the most frequently asked payroll questions.
Where Do I Go If I Have Questions About My Benefits?
9. How Can I Get In Touch With My Benefits Contact?
Your contact in the Benefits and Payroll Liaison Branch will be able to help you with a variety of issues pertaining to the health and life insurance programs, designating beneficiaries, the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), calculating your retirement annuity estimate, working with you to pay a redeposit for prior civilian service if you previously withdrew your retirement funds, paying a deposit for prior civilian or military service for which retirement deductions were not withheld, etc. To find your benefits contact, review our list of contacts. In addition, the Benefits and Payroll Liaison Branch (BPLB) website has an abundance of information regarding your Federal benefits.
Human resource topics not related to your benefits are normally handled by your Client Services Division HR Representative.
