What are the eligibility requirements for federal retirement benefits?

To be eligible for federal retirement benefits, an individual must fulfill certain criteria. First, they must have worked in a position covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) or the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). Second, they need to have accumulated a minimum number of years of creditable service, which varies based on their date of hire and retirement system. For FERS employees, a general requirement is 5 years of creditable civilian service. Finally, the individual should meet the minimum age requirement corresponding to their retirement system. For FERS employees, the minimum age ranges from 56 to 57 based on their birth year. However, there are exceptions to these requirements for special provisions such as law enforcement, firefighter, and air traffic controller positions.