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Benefits Information for New Hires - Clerk's Office

New employees should review the Benefits Overview Brochure for an overview of the available benefits and to determine benefits eligibility. Eligibility for certain benefits depends on your appointment type. This website contains additional information on benefits as well as enrollment information.   
 
The deadline to enroll in most benefits is 60 days from your first day of employment. All enrollments must be made before the enrollment deadline.  After the deadline passes, there are only very limited opportunities to enroll.  

1.  FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFITS (FEHB)

DEADLINE:  You have 60 days from your start date to enroll.

Healthcare information is available on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) website - www.OPM.gov. This site offers reference materials and a comparison tool to assist employees with choosing a health plan that best meets their needs.  For information on available plans, please review the following link:
 
Plan Information – find and compare plans available in your area, rates for available plans, and health carrier brochures.
 
The earliest your health benefits can be effective is the first Monday of the pay period that begins AFTER your start date and after you submit your enrollment form (this is usually two week after your start date). If you wish to have your benefits effective during this timeframe, please submit your SF-2809 Health Benefits Election Form PRIOR to your start date. Once you make an election, it CANNOT be changed. You will only be able to make changes to your election during Open Season (mid-November to mid-December) or if you experience a Qualifying Life Event such as marriage or the birth of a child.
 

2.  FEDERAL EMPLOYEES’ GROUP LIFE INSURANCE (FEGLI)

DEADLINE:  You have 60 days from your start date to enroll.

Information on Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) is also available on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) website - www.OPM.gov. For detailed information on FEGLI, please review the following links:

The Administrative Office automatically enrolls new employees in basic coverage on their start date and deductions are taken directly from their pay.  If you wish to waive coverage or elect optional coverage in addition to basic coverage, please submit your request to the Judiciary Benefits Center via the following: a) ONLINE. See JBC Website User Guide for first time user registration instructions or b) PHONE 877-207-3220.Please review the 2020 FEGLI Biweekly Effective Date Rules for deadlines to submit your FEGLI requests. 
 
NOTE: If you choose to waive coverage, you must wait until one year has passed from the effective date of the waiver before you can re-enroll. An SF-2822 must be filled out to re-enroll showing the employee has provided satisfactory medical evidence of insurability. Otherwise, you must wait until you have a Qualifying Life Event or the next FEGLI Open Season (very rare). 
 

3.  FEDERAL EMPLOYEES DENTAL AND VISION PROGRAM (FEDVIP)

DEADLINE:  You have 60 days from your start date to enroll.

Depending on the health plan you select, you may find that your plan provides adequate dental and vision benefits. If the health plan doesn't provide sufficient coverage, there are supplemental dental and vision benefits available through FEDVIP. You are eligible for coverage even if you are not enrolled in a Federal Employee Health Benefit Plan. You can elect a dental plan, vision plan, or both. You can select a self only plan, a self plus one plan, or family plan.  To view plan information, visit: https://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/dental-vision/plan-information/
 
If you don't sign up for FEDVIP within the first 60 days of employment, you will have to wait until Open Season (mid-November to mid-December) or if a Qualifying Life Event occurs.  
 
Enrollment: You can not enroll in FEDVIP prior to your start date. The Administrative Office needs to process your appointment paperwork and set you up as a new employee first, which generally takes 2-3 weeks from your start date. After that, you can enroll through https://benefeds.com/
 

4.  FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNTS FOR HEALTH CARE AND DEPENDENT CARE 

DEADLINE:  You have 60 days from your start date to enroll.

Flexible spending accounts allow participants to set aside an elected amount from their paycheck on a pre-tax basis to pay for certain health care and dependent care expenses incurred throughout the year. The Health Care Reimbursement Account eligible expenses include deductibles, copayments and other out-of-pocket medical, dental and vision expenses not covered by your insurance. The Dependent Care Reimbursement Account eligible expenses include daycare provider.
If you enroll in a high deductible health plan with a Health Savings Account component, or are covered by a Health Savings account through a family member or otherwise, you are NOT eligible to elect a Health Care Reimbursement Account under the Judiciary's Flexible Benefit Program. An individual is not permitted to have a Health Savings Account and a Health Care Reimbursement Account at the same time.
 
Please note that you can not enroll in these benefits prior to your start date. The Administrative Office needs to process your appointment paperwork and set you up as a new employee first, which generally takes 2-3 weeks from your start date. After that, you can enroll through the Judiciary Benefits Center website. The pre-tax election reduces the amount on which federal income taxes, Social Security taxes and, in most cases, state and local income taxes, are based thereby increasing take-home pay. Form more information, please see the Flexible Benefit Summary Plan Description.
 

5.  TRANSIT SUBSIDY AGREEMENT/COMMUTER BENEFITS

The Transit Subsidy Program is available to permanent employees of the Clerk’s Office. Please read the Transit Subsidy Agreement for program details. If you wish to participate in the Transit Subsidy Program, please return the signed agreement to Beth Mason. If you will be selecting parking, there are several options:

  • Customs House Garage/DoubleTree Hotel (contact Wilmington Parking Authority for rates and availability)
  • Alico Building (contact Wilmington Parking Authority for rates and availability)
  • Government Center Garage (contact Colonial Parking for rates and availability)
  • 9th and French Street (contact Colonial Parking for rates and availability)
  • Contact Information: Wilmington Parking Authority (302)655-4442 and Colonial Parking (302)651-3600

Parking reimbursement will occur on a quarterly basis in January, April, July and October. Please provide the Finance Department with your parking receipts at the end of each quarter on the following dates: 9/23- 9/30, 12/23- 12/31, 3/23- 3/31, 6/23- 6/30. In the event you will be changing your Transit Subsidy Election during your employment, please complete a new Transit Subsidy Election form and submit to Beth Mason.

In conjunction with the Federal Transit Subsidy Program, you can also sign up for the Commuter Benefits Program. This is designed to assist employees in defraying the additional costs of parking expenses. The account allows you to set aside part of your salary on a pre-tax basis. This means your monthly contributions are deducted from your salary before taxes are deducted, thereby increasing your spendable income. For more information, please see the Commuter Benefit FAQ's. You can enroll or make changes at any time. Please note, if you enroll in the Commuter Benefit Program, you can only elect the amount over the $100 transit subsidy. Per the A.O., you are not permitted to claim the $100 Transit Subsidy amount, only the difference between the $100 and what your monthly parking is.

Please note that you can not enroll in the commuter parking benefit program prior to your start date. The Administrative Office needs to process your appointment paperwork and set you up as a new employee first, which generally takes 2-3 weeks from your start date. After that, you can enroll through the Judiciary Benefits Center website.

6.  LONG TERM CARE INSURANCE - Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) NOTE: Long Term Care Insurance new enrollments suspended from 12/19/22- 12/19/24

Long-term care is care that you need if you can no longer perform everyday tasks by yourself due to a chronic illness, injury, disability or the aging process. Long-term care includes the supervision you might need due to a severe cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer's disease. Long-term care insurance programs include coverage for nursing home care (all levels received in a licensed facility), community based care (assisted living facilities, adult daycare and home health services), hospice care, caregiver support and alternative plans of care. Long-term care expenses are not covered by traditional medical insurance plans such as FEHB. Note that the younger you are when you apply for long-term care insurance, the lower your premiums will be throughout your lifetime.
 
Enrollment: As a Judiciary employee, you can enroll in the Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program at any time, but you receive abbreviated medical underwriting if you enroll within the first 60 days of employment. Please see the following link for details on enrollment: http://www.ltcfeds.com/

 
7.  THRIFT SAVINGS PLAN

The Thrift Savings Plan is a retirement plan offered to FERS employees. Newly hired employees are automatically enrolled in the TSP at a contribution rate of 5%. The government matches any contributions to the TSP up to 5% (dollar for dollar for the first 3% and 50 cents on the dollar for the next 2%). There is also an Agency Automatic Contribution of 1%, regardless of whether or not you contribute to the TSP. For additional details on the Thrift Savings Plan, please reference the below documents.

8.  STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM

Through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, borrowers may qualify for forgiveness of the remaining balance due on their eligible federal student loans after they have made 120 payments on those loans under certain repayment plans while employed full time by certain public service employers (including the judicial branch). For information on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, please see the following link:https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service
 

9.  FITNESS CENTER

The Fitness Center is located on the third floor in room 3124. The Fitness Center has the following equipment: two treadmills, one elliptical, two recumbent bikes, free weights and a Smith machine. The Fitness Center is available to employees who sign the Informed Consent Agreement and the Fitness Center Rules. Please sign the forms and return to the Clerk's Office staff. Upon receipt of the forms, Intake Supervisor Crystal Ayala will provide you with an access code to the Fitness Center. 
 

10.  BENEFICIARY FORMS

Below are beneficiary forms for several benefits within the Judiciary. It is recommended that you complete the beneficiary forms for the applicable benefits and return to Beth Mason for processing with the A.O.
 
SF 1152    SF 2823   SF 3102    

United States District Court of Delaware
Clerk's Office
844 N. King Street, Unit 18
Wilmington, DE 19801 

Beth Mason
Elizabeth_Mason@ded.uscourts.gov
(302) 573-4539