Your Service Computation Date (SCD) might be the most important date in your federal career—after your retirement date, of course. It determines your leave accrual, retirement eligibility, and most critically, the size of your FERS pension. Yet at GovRet.com, we find that SCD errors are surprisingly common and can cost federal employees thousands in retirement benefits.
Why Your Service Computation Date Matters
Think of your SCD as the government's official calculation of when your creditable service began. It affects virtually every aspect of your federal benefits:
- Retirement eligibility (when you can retire)
- Annuity computation (how much you'll receive)
- Leave accrual rate (how quickly you earn annual leave)
- Reduction in Force (RIF) retention standing
- Career tenure and probationary periods
- Thrift Savings Plan vesting
An error of just a few months could delay your retirement eligibility or reduce your pension for life.
Not All Federal Service Counts Equally
This is where many SCD errors begin. Different types of federal service receive different creditable time:
- Permanent, full-time civilian service: Fully creditable
- Part-time service: Prorated based on hours worked
- Temporary service after 1/1/1989: Not creditable without a deposit
- Temporary service before 1/1/1989: Potentially creditable with a deposit
- Intermittent service: Credited only for actual days worked
- Military service: Varies based on dates and retirement system
Each of these service types is treated differently, creating opportunities for errors.
Common SCD Errors That Could Cost You
Based on our work with thousands of federal employees at GovRet.com, these are the most frequent SCD mistakes:
- Missing temporary service: Eligible service not included in your records
- Incorrect calculations for part-time service: Hours miscalculated or prorated incorrectly
- Break in service errors: Improper handling of periods between federal jobs
- Military service omissions: Qualifying service not included
- Leave without pay miscalculations: LWOP periods counted incorrectly
- Agency transfers: Records not properly transferred between agencies
Each of these errors can significantly impact your retirement timeline and benefits.
How to Find Your Current SCD
Before you can fix problems, you need to know your current SCD. Here's where to look:
- Your SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) in Block 31
- Your Personal Benefits Statement
- Your electronic personnel record (often in your agency's HR system)
- Your Leave and Earnings Statement (often shows leave SCD)
Note that you may have different SCDs for different purposes (retirement, leave, RIF), so be sure to check which one you're looking at.
Detecting Errors in Your Service History
Now that you know your SCD, how do you check if it's correct? Start by creating a complete service history:
- Gather all SF-50s from your federal career
- List all periods of service, including start and end dates
- Note whether each period was full-time, part-time, temporary, etc.
- Document all breaks in service
- Include military service if applicable
- Note any LWOP periods exceeding 6 months
Once you have this timeline, you can verify whether your SCD reflects all eligible service.
DIY SCD Calculation: The Basics
For a quick check, follow this simple approach:
- Start with your first date of creditable service
- Add all breaks in service (days not in pay status)
- For part-time service, add the prorated non-working time
- The resulting date should match your SCD
Use GovRet.com's SCD calculator for a more precise calculation that accounts for all service types.
Special Cases That Often Cause SCD Errors
Military Service Credit
Military service can be particularly tricky:
- Post-1956 military service requires a deposit to be creditable
- Military deposits must be paid in full prior to retirement
- Different rules apply for FERS vs. CSRS
- National Guard and Reserve service counted differently
Part-Time Service Computations
Part-time service is prorated based on your work schedule:
- 20 hours per week = 50% credit
- 30 hours per week = 75% credit
- Tour of duty matters more than actual hours worked
LWOP Considerations
Leave Without Pay impacts your SCD differently depending on duration:
- Up to 6 months of LWOP per calendar year is usually creditable
- LWOP exceeding 6 months typically extends your SCD
- Exceptions exist for military service, workers' compensation, and some other categories
How to Correct Your SCD: Step-by-Step
If you've found an error, here's how to fix it:
- Document the error with specific dates and supporting records
- Prepare a formal request for SCD correction with your evidence
- Submit to your HR office (not OPM—corrections start with your agency)
- Follow up regularly until the correction is processed
- Verify the correction on subsequent SF-50s and statements
Be persistent—SCD corrections can take months to process but are worth the effort.
When to Seek Professional Help
Consider getting expert assistance if:
- You have a complex service history with multiple agencies
- Your record includes overseas, intermittent, or seasonal service
- You've had multiple breaks in service
- Your agency HR office is unresponsive
- You're within 5 years of retirement
The closer you are to retirement, the more urgent it is to resolve SCD errors.
Real Impact: What SCD Errors Cost Real Feds
Consider these real-world examples from GovRet.com users:
- Mark's missing temporary service: 11 months of uncredited time delayed his retirement eligibility and cost him $12,500 in lost annuity payments
- Susan's part-time calculation error: Incorrect prorating of 5 years of part-time service reduced her annuity by $175 monthly for life
- Robert's military service omission: 4 years of military service not credited increased his annuity by $400 monthly after correction
These aren't just administrative details—they have real financial consequences.
The Bottom Line
Your Service Computation Date is too important to leave to chance. Taking the time to verify and correct your SCD can mean the difference between retiring when you want and waiting months or years longer. It can also significantly impact your financial security throughout retirement.
Use GovRet.com's SCD calculator and verification tools to check your dates, and remember that the best time to fix SCD errors is long before you plan to retire. The closer you get to retirement, the more difficult these corrections become.
Don't let administrative errors cost you the retirement benefits you've earned through your federal service. Verify your SCD today!