Pay & Benefits
Federal and postal workers to see double-digit health care premium increases again next year
Federal employee groups decried the second consecutive year of premium increases eclipsing 10 percent amid a government shutdown and a proposed 1% pay raise for non-law enforcement personnel.
IRS walks back retroactive pay guarantee for furloughed feds one day after making it
The agency has deleted the original email from employees' inboxes.
What to expect while you’re expecting (your retirement benefit, that is)
The OPM director uses his weekly updates to detail efforts to replace paper applications, guide employees through the Online Retirement Application system, and address delays and data issues in retirement processing.
Revived bill aims to ease financial strain on federal employees during shutdown
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., has reintroduced legislation by former Rep. Jennifer Wexton, D-Va., that would require regulators to issue new guidance to help prevent financial hardship for federal employees and contractors caused by budget impasse.
Trump administration’s claims against automatic furloughed worker backpay lack legal, historical basis
Experts say the White House’s new theory that the 2019 Government Employee Fair Treatment Act does not guarantee feds backpay following a shutdown fails a basic tenet of legal analysis.
Trump says he can pick and choose which feds get back pay. Republicans in Congress mostly disagree
Asked if furloughed workers will get retroactively paid, Trump say “it depends.”
Updated
OMB deletes reference to law guaranteeing backpay to furloughed feds from shutdown guidance
An Office of Management and Budget FAQ document now states that only excepted employees forced to work without pay are guaranteed backpay at the conclusion of a lapse in appropriations.
Democrats introduce bill to ease TSP withdrawals, loans during shutdowns
The Emergency Relief for Federal Workers Act would clarify that lapses in appropriations qualify federal workers to take a hardship withdrawal from the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings program and eliminate the associated 10% penalty in those instances.
Some good news for federal employees: TSP shows steady growth and healthy fund performance
The Thrift Savings Plan has surpassed $1 trillion in assets, providing steady returns in 2025.
TSP funds continue to tick upward in September
For a second consecutive month, all of the funds in the Thrift Savings Plan increased in value.
Maryland Dems float unemployment insurance for federal workers during shutdown
Congressional Democrats aim to provide benefits to federal employees forced to work during the shutdown, and other pay and benefits news you may have missed this week.
Featured eBooks
Lawmakers propose elevating POW benefit eligibility and offering a citizenship path for immigrant service members
One House bill aims to change the veterans’ health care benefits priority for former prisoners of war, while another tries again to offer an immigration path to noncitizens in the Armed Forces.
Your guide to pay and benefits during a shutdown
A lapse in appropriations looked likely after Senate Democrats rejected a plan to keep federal agencies open past Sept. 30, while the House is not expected to return to Washington until next month.
The best dates to retire in 2026
Step into retirement on the right day with this annual guide.
Plan to expand PACT Act eligibility for 9/11 Pentagon personnel introduced
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., wants to provide Defense Department personnel present at the Pentagon following the 9/11 attacks access to benefits provided by the landmark veteran health care bill.
Lawmakers sound alarm on administration of USPS health care program
The Office of Personnel Management still has less than half of the IT staff needed to support postal workers’ employer-sponsored health insurance program as it prepares for its second-ever open season this fall.
What to know before setting your 2026 retirement date
Immediate vs. deferred retirement, the three-day rule, and why the last day of the month often makes the most sense.
Legislation to end government shutdowns returns to Capitol Hill
Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, and Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., have brought back a bill aimed at ending the costly budget impasses, a proposal that’s historically had little success in Congress.
OPM lays out early plans for law enforcement-only pay raise
Federal employee groups decried President Trump’s plan to raise pay for most civilian employees by just 1% next year while giving military service members and law enforcement officers 3.8%.
The milestone ages that matter most for retirement planning
From catch-up contributions to required distributions, federal employees face key ages that can shape retirement income, benefits and tax planning.
