USPS VERA Craft Eligibility: Which Postal Employees Qualify for Early Out

Not every USPS employee gets a VERA offer just because the Postal Service issues one. Eligibility depends on your craft, your facility, and whether your union's MOU or national agreement includes your position. The targeting is specific — and it changes with each round.

The Statutory Eligibility Rules Apply to Everyone

Regardless of your craft, you must meet the basic VERA thresholds under 5 U.S.C. 8414(b) for FERS or 8336(d)(2) for CSRS:

• Age 50 with 20 years of creditable federal service, or
• Any age with 25 years of creditable federal service
• Plus at least 5 years of creditable civilian service
• Not under a notice of removal or termination

These are non-negotiable statutory minimums. OPM cannot waive the age or service requirements.

Which Crafts Were Targeted in the 2025 VERA Round

The January 2025 VERA was negotiated through separate Memorandums of Understanding with the APWU and NPMHU. The targeted career populations included:

APWU-represented crafts:

• Clerk Craft
• Motor Vehicle Service (MVS)
• Maintenance Craft
• HRSSC personnel

NPMHU-represented crafts:

• Career Mail Handler Craft employees listed in the MOU

Craft caps applied: The 2025 MOU imposed percentage caps on certain specialized positions — nurses were capped at 10%, and maintenance craft at 12%. These caps limited participation in those groups. Even if you met the age and service requirements, check your offer letter and MOU to see how the cap applies to your position.

NALC Letter Carriers

The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) negotiates separately from APWU and NPMHU. Whether city letter carriers receive a VERA depends on whether NALC reaches its own agreement with USPS for a given round. In some rounds, letter carriers are included; in others, they're excluded.

If you're a city letter carrier, check with your NALC branch representative for the current status. Rural letter carriers represented by NRLCA follow a different national agreement entirely.

Management and Non-Bargaining Positions

The 2025 APWU and NPMHU MOUs described above do not establish eligibility for management or other non-bargaining positions. Check the notice and VERA authorization that cover your position; the basic VERA age and service thresholds still apply.

How to Confirm Your Eligibility

The most reliable way to confirm whether your specific position is covered by the current VERA offer:

1. Check your VERA offer letter — it will specify which craft groups and facilities are included
2. Log into LiteBlue MyHR — your offer status appears under the retirement section if you're in a covered group
3. Call HRSSC at 877-477-3273, Option 5 — they can confirm whether your craft code is included
4. Contact your union steward — they have access to the MOU text and any craft cap details

Don't rely on workroom floor conversation. In the 2025 round, rumors circulated that all crafts were included — in reality, specific craft codes and facilities were targeted, and some employees who expected offers didn't receive them.

Facility-Specific Targeting

VERA offers aren't always postal-wide. Some rounds target specific facilities undergoing consolidation — plants being converted to Regional Processing and Distribution Centers (RPDCs) or mail processing operations being moved to Sorting and Delivery Centers (S&DCs). In those cases, only employees at the affected installations receive offers, regardless of craft.

If your facility is on the consolidation schedule, a VERA offer may be the Postal Service's alternative to excessing or reassignment. Understanding whether your facility is targeted — and what happens if you decline — is part of the decision.

For the complete decision framework covering eligibility verification, annuity calculations, and the specific considerations for each craft and retirement system, the USPS Early Out: The Postal VERA & VSIP Decision Guide covers it all with statutory references and worked examples.

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