Pay & Benefits

Senate advances $3B VA supplemental bill one day before deadline

The chamber approved legislation by voice vote Thursday to provide the Veterans Affairs Department with an extra $3 billion to cover a surge in veterans benefits costs ahead of a potential service disruption.

Pay & Benefits

Senators push to avert pay cliff looming over overseas Foreign Service officers in stopgap spending deal

Foreign Service officers stationed outside the U.S. could see an average pay cut of 22% if the provision undergirding legislation aimed at ensuring commensurate pay between overseas federal workers and their domestically located counterparts is not reauthorized.

Pay & Benefits

Medicare quiz for federal retirees

Wondering why you need Medicare if you have lifetime health insurance coverage under the Federal Employees Health Benefits program? This quiz may help.

Pay & Benefits

How did the VA end up with a $3 billion shortfall? Leaders say staff over-delivered

VA officials outlined how a surge in PACT Act claims outpaced initial budget projections in a Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee hearing Wednesday, days before a processing deadline affecting the benefit payments of 7 million veterans. 

Pay & Benefits

House passes $3B VA supplemental budget ahead of Friday deadline

The chamber advanced the multi-billion-dollar stopgap bill by voice vote Tuesday evening, giving the Senate three days to pass the legislation to cover a budget shortfall. 

Pay & Benefits

Employees at Latin American aid agency vote to unionize 

Workers at the Inter-American Foundation almost unanimously voted to join the American Federation of Government Employees last week amid claims of no in-house human resources and an undermanned staff. 

Pay & Benefits

HHS expands health benefits eligibility for 9/11 responders under new rule

The interim final rule, published on the 23rd anniversary of the terror attack, opens eligibility for the World Trade Center Health Program to resolve coverage gaps for Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, responders.

Pay & Benefits

Lack of guidelines scuttled VA’s goal to expand access for substance use disorder treatment

The department’s inspector general found that despite budgeting to hire more than 1,000 substance use disorder treatment staff at its medical centers, it only netted 310 new employees in the first year. 

Pay & Benefits

Lawmakers file discharge petition to repeal controversial tax rule affecting federal retirees

The Social Security Fairness Act has broad bipartisan support both in Congress and among federal employee unions.

Pay & Benefits

The sunsetting of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act: What federal employees need to know

COMMENTARY | Learn about the potential changes and start planning now to mitigate any adverse effects on your financial situation.

Pay & Benefits

All TSP portfolios posted modest gains in August

Each of the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings program’s investment options gained value for the second straight month.

Pay & Benefits

Biden formally announces 2% average pay raise for feds in 2025

The president each August must declare an “economic emergency” to prevent large automatic increases to locality pay from taking effect, in accordance with the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act.

Pay & Benefits

OPM reminds agencies to grant feds leave to vote

Federal workers are entitled to up to four hours of paid administrative leave to go to the polls, thanks to an executive order signed by President Biden in 2021.

Pay & Benefits

Thank goodness for survivor benefits

Even if you have never had a job where you paid into Social Security, you may still be eligible to receive benefits.

Pay & Benefits

House subcommittee wants VA to put more of a spotlight on its veteran employment program

In a field hearing of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, House members pressed for more insights and potential exposure of the Veteran Readiness and Employment program. 

Pay & Benefits

House lawmakers plan to force a vote on bill to kill provision that cuts some feds' retirement pay

The Social Security Fairness Act would abolish two tax provisions that reduce retirement benefits for some federal workers.

Pay & Benefits

Senator says rule to stem Head Start employee turnover could bar children from early education

The HHS rule would require wage and benefit increases for Head Start staff, but Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., claimed the proposed changes would reduce funded, if vacant, slots in the education program.

Pay & Benefits

Slam the Scam, again

Some tips for avoiding scams and resources for help if you become victim to a scam artist.