FOR INFORMATION: 
Dan Adcock 703-838-7760

Margaret L. Baptiste, president of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE), announced successful achievement of a legislative fix that ensures that all federal retirees--like other seniors--will be offered stimulus relief. 

“Thanks to the tireless efforts of Senator John Kerry (D-MA) as well as Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) and other federal-friendly lawmakers, no federal retirees were excluded.  These lawmakers went to the mat for federal retirees, and fought an uphill policy and timing battle to include these individuals at each step of the process,” affirmed Baptiste.  As originally drafted, the Senate stimulus bill provided a one-time cash payment to Social Security, Veterans, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Railroad Retirement recipients that inadvertently excluded non-Social Security public sector retirees --including many Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) annuitants, as well as certain state and local government retirees. NARFE’s efforts, which included reaching out to legislators on Capitol Hill and to groups representing state and local government employees and retirees, secured language being incorporated into the final bill to accommodate these individuals.       

Under the auspices of the stimulus package, tax relief via reduced payroll tax withholding will be provided to wage-earners under the ‘Make Work Pay’ provisions.  Social Security, Veterans, SSI or Railroad Retirement beneficiaries, who are not otherwise wage-earners, will see a one-time $250 increase in these payments.  Federal retirees who are not eligible for any of these payments will be eligible to take a newly-created $250 per person refundable tax credit.  At this time, prior to the stimulus package’s enactment into law, few details are available.  NARFE will keep its members informed on all coming tax guidance. 

“As federal retirees worked and contributed just like other Social Security retirees, NARFE is pleased that this tax credit was created and then successfully attached to the stimulus legislation,” asserted President Baptiste.  “NARFE applauds Congress for extending a tax stimulus to our nation’s seniors so that retirees can join other taxpayers in bolstering our economy at a critical time.”    

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NARFE, one of America’s oldest and largest associations, was founded in 1921 with the mission of protecting the earned rights and benefits of America’s active and retired federal workers. The largest federal employee/ retiree organization, NARFE represents the retirement interests of nearly 5 million current and future federal annuitants, spouses, and survivors.