Benefits

• Benefits available to retired U.S. postal employees include health benefits, life insurance, dental, vision and long-term care. A postal retiree retains the ability to change her enrollment to another plan during the annual open enrollment period. Life insurance coverage can be decreased or canceled at any time after retirement but it cannot be increased.
  
  

Eligibility

• According to the Office of Personnel Management, the Civil Service Retirement System is comprised of four different categories of benefits that pertain to postal employees, which vary based on age, years of service or special circumstance: Optional, Early Optional, Discontinued Service and Disability.
  
  

Cost-of-Living Increases

• Retirees in the Federal Employees Retirement System do not receive cost-of-living increases until age 62. There are, however, exceptions for survivor and disability benefits.
  
  

Survivor Benefits

• According to the Office of Personnel Management, the surviving spouse of a deceased postal retiree is entitled to monthly payments if the deceased provided for the benefit while employed. Unmarried dependent children may receive monthly benefits until age 18 or age 22 if the child is a full-time student.
  
  

Fun Fact

• The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program is the world's largest employer-sponsored health insurance program.