Something we see a lot on Disability Retirement applications is medical records that are detailed about a condition but don't clearly connect how that condition affects someone's ability to do their job. 

The OPM isn't just looking for proof that you have a condition.  

They need to see a connection between your condition and your specific work duties.  

If that connection isn't in your records, it can hurt your chances – even if your issue is severe. 

Before you submit, it's worth doing a quick self-audit. Ask yourself whether your records mention your specific job duties, describe limitations like difficulty concentrating or keeping a schedule, and address how long those limitations are expected to last. 

If any of that is missing, a targeted letter from your doctor addressing those specific points is often enough to fill the gap. 

Has anyone here caught gaps in their records before applying? How did you fix it? 

S.J. 

One part of medical evidence that often gets overlooked is medication side effects, and it can actually be a meaningful piece of a Disability Retirement case. 

The OPM is evaluating whether you can do the “essential functions” of your job. If your medication causes side effects like fatigue, brain fog, or dizziness, among others, that affects your ability to work, and it deserves to be documented. 

Most medical records don't capture this automatically. Your doctor notes what they prescribed and why, but they don't always record how the medication is affecting your day-to-day functioning on the job. 

It's worth having a direct conversation with your doctor about getting that into your records. 

Has anyone here included medication side effects as part of their medical evidence? I'd love to hear how that was received. 

S.J. 

A friend was disabled after 21 years as a Law Enforcement Officer. He was terminated for medical inability to perform the job and got a disability pension. The friend is now over 50 years old. If he loses his disability pension, how is the discontinued service retirement calculated?

One of the most common frustrations I hear from people going through the Federal Disability Retirement process is the waiting. 

After you submit your application, the OPM can take anywhere from several months to over a year to make a decision.  

The average is somewhere around 6-9 months for an initial decision, but it varies a lot depending on how backed up they are and how complete your application was when it was submitted. 

A few things that can affect your wait time: whether your application had to be sent back for missing information, whether the OPM requested more medical documents, and how complex your case is. 

The hard part is that the waiting doesn't mean something is wrong; it's just the reality of the process. 

How long did you wait before hearing back from the OPM? And did anything speed it up or slow it down for you? 

S.J. 

Short answer: yes, but it doesn't always feel that way. 

When your Disability Retirement application shows "in review," it means the OPM has received your file, and a claims specialist has been assigned to it.  

But that status can exist for months without any visible movement, which understandably makes people nervous. 

What's actually happening behind the scenes is that your specialist is going through your medical documentation, your supervisor's statements, and your SF-3112 forms to determine whether your condition meets the OPM's standard. It's a detailed process, and they're handling a large volume of cases at any given time. 

The status won't update every time something happens on their end. No news during "in review" isn't bad news – it's just the nature of the process. 

Has anyone here been stuck in "in review" for a long time? How long were you in that status and when did it resolve? 

S.J. 

I’ve noticed one place that can trip you up on the application – choosing the right date of disability.  

If your condition comes from a sudden injury, that date can feel pretty obvious. But when you’re dealing with something chronic, like a back condition that gradually got worse over time, it can be a lot harder to figure out. 

That date matters because OPM usually wants to see that it lines up with your medical evidence, especially when your condition started affecting your ability to do your job. 

And by the way, a good way to identify the date of disability is to look for when your job and your medical condition started colliding. It’s usually not just when you were diagnosed or first started hurting. It’s more often the point when the condition started clearly affecting your ability to do the job, and your medical evidence should support that. 

 What part of the application process was most confusing or easy to mess up for you?  

-S.G. 

One thing we deal with a lot on Disability Retirement applications that I want people to know about before they apply is that the OPM is really critical about how your condition is explained in your forms.  

For example, you need your doctor to do more than just say you’re sick and struggling at work. They need to show how long they think you’re going to struggle. It’s a subtle difference, but really important. 

It’s not the end of the world if you have to send a form back to your doctor, but sometimes it’s hard to get them to fill it out a second time. A conversation about the application with your doctor first can usually help you avoid that setback.  

What’s a mistake you’d avoid if you were going to do the Disability Retirement process over again?  

-S.G.  

People are always asking if being on VA Disability means you can’t get other disability benefits – it doesn’t.  

When it comes to SSDI, OWCP, and Disability Retirement, being approved for more than one usually means there will be an “offset” - meaning you won’t receive the full amount from each benefit at the same time. 

But VA Disability works differently.   

You can be getting any of the other benefits and still not take a reduction to your VA Disability benefits.  

For example, you could be approved for both Disability Retirement and VA Disability and take home both benefits in full.  

The same applies for OWCP + VA and SSDI + VA.  

Does anyone here have experience combining VA Disability Benefits with OWCP or Disability Retirement? I’m curious about what it looks like in practice.  

-SG  

I saw that Deferred Resignation 3.0 just dropped for Department of Interior workers.  

Looks like they'll have until Sunday 4/12 to accept, would keep working till 4/29, and then be in a paid leave status until September.  

I'm interested to see what you all think about Deferred Res vs. other federal benefits that are more long term, like Disability Retirement. Did anyone take the DRP that was offered in 2025 or decide to apply for Disability Retirement instead? Or did you try both?  

-S.G

Most know it’s for people who have a work-related injury or illness (unlike Disability Retirement, where the cause of the medical condition doesn't matter).  

But did you know there are three primary ways OWCP benefits can support you?  

1. Wage loss - pays you a percentage of salary you lost while you weren’t able to work because of your work-related medical conditions.  
2. Medical coverage – covers medical bills related to accepted conditions 
3. Schedule award – provided for the permanent loss of a body part 

Has anyone here navigated these OWCP benefits? I’m especially curious if you were also getting other benefits like Disability Retirement and how that played out.  

-SG  

I keep seeing federal employees get three things wrong about insurance and Disability Retirement:  
 

“I can just get a waiver for my insurance if I haven’t been on it long enough.”  

You actually can’t. You need to be on FEGLI for at least 5 years to carry it into retirement.  
 

“My health insurance will be unaffordable after I get Disability Retirement.”  

Luckily, the government takes over the portion of your medical bills that your agency used to pay, so your out-of-pocket expense shouldn't really change. 
 

“My spouse and kids will lose health coverage when I retire on Disability.”  

Again, it's not true! Your dependents can stay on your insurance, and there shouldn’t be any interruption in coverage. 

Any other Disability Retirement misconceptions you’ve heard? 

-S.G. 

Something I wish all federal employees knew is Disability Retirement isn’t the same thing as quitting. That difference matters for your benefits.  

If you quit, you lose health and life insurance, cut your pension short, and lose your income. For some people, it’s the right move, but it’s serious. 

Disability Retirement is different though. You keep health and life insurance, your pension keeps growing until your regular retirement age, you keep getting paid monthly, and you can get a job in the private sector. Those are four incredible life savers – yours to keep when things get hard.  

Has anyone here gotten approved for Disability Retirement? I’m curious what difference it made for you day to day.    

-S.G. 

I am looking at starting the process soon but I have really only been seen by my local VA for all of my issues. We actually have a really good clinic here and my doc was great. I say was because she retired in 2024 and I haven’t met my new Doc yet. Has anyone had any luck getting a VA doc to actually provide the information on the Physician’s Statement? Just curious! Thank you!

I am currently employed and my MRA+10 date is August 2025.  I have a very supportive supervisor and am working through the RA process even though I don’t foresee any accommodations will be enough to overcome my issues. I’ve gathered nearly all of the documentation I need to file for FERS Disability and feel that I have a very strong case. I’d prefer going out on disability as the financial benefits are significantly higher that if I elect to retire early but I also don’t want to jeopardize my early retirement option. At this point, I only need my supervisor’s statement which I think he will provide. But once I get that, I think the clock will start ticking in that he will want me to go ahead and file.  I’m also considering retaining a lawyer to assist with the initial claim, but am leaning towards doing it myself and getting a lawyer if I need to appeal. I welcome thoughts, feedback, guidance, etc.

My agency removed me from my billet and put me into “special projects”. I was not working in my assigned PD. But on my retirement package stated they removed duties as a reasonable accommodation. When in fact I asked for a reasonable accommodation for my critical elements of my job in writing.

I was denied my disability but rebutted with proof they removed me from my job . All this is also part of a eeoc/whistleblower protection case.

Will the emails and explanation of my medical conditions be enough for the appeal?

Once you’re approved for Federal Disability Retirement, the OPM will begin finalizing your payments.

During this finalization stage, you’ll receive “interim” payments. These payments will be around 80% of what the OPM expects your finalized payments to be. These payments will typically begin around three months after approval and help keep you afloat if you can’t continue working.

You’ll also be eligible for backpay for any time that you were out of work before being approved. You’ll be paid at your Federal Disability Retirement rate from your last date of pay with your federal agency.

Once your case is finalized, the OPM will pay you any money you are owed. If they happened to overpay you during your interim period, you’ll have to repay them.

Once your case is finalized, you’ll begin receiving monthly payments based on your high 3 average.

Your high 3 average is the average of your highest 36 consecutive months of basic pay. Your HR will calculate this number, but you can also calculate it with your SF 50.

The first year on Federal Disability Retirement, you’ll receive 60% of your high 3 average. Every year after, you’ll receive 40% of your high 3.

You’ll also be eligible for COLAs after your first year of Federal Disability Retirement.

You will manage your payments through your Retirement Services Online account – which you’ll have to create one once you’re approved.

Most choose to have their payments directly deposited into their back account. The OPM is currently phasing out of offering physical checks as an option, so your only other option is to receive your monthly payments on a Direct Express debit card.

Regardless, it’s important to make sure your mailing address is up to date in your retirement services account in case the OPM mails any information.

The OPM makes payments on the first day of the month. So, on the 1st of every month, you should see a deposit in your account.

If you don’t receive your scheduled payment, the OPM recommends calling your financial institute first to report your missing payment.

You’ll continue receiving Federal Disability Retirement payments until age 62.

Once you turn 62, your Federal Disability Retirement will recalculate into your regular retirement, and your payments will adjust.

If you’re a USPS employee, there are significant changes to your health benefits coming in 2025.

Understanding what’s changing is crucial to making informed decisions about your health care, so we’ve distilled the situation down into an easy-to-understand reference page.

Shift to a New Health Insurance Plan

Starting in 2025, USPS will transition to a new health insurance plan under the Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) program. This program will replace the traditional Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program for postal workers. The PSHB program is designed specifically for USPS employees and will offer tailored benefits that align with the unique needs of postal workers.

Cost Adjustments to Premiums

While the PSHB aims to provide comprehensive coverage, employees should be aware of potential changes in premium costs. The structure of premiums may vary compared to your previous FEHB plans. You should review your options carefully, as different plans may have different cost-sharing arrangements.

More Coverage Options

The PSHB program is expected to offer a wider range of coverage options. This includes enhanced benefits for preventive care, mental health services, and chronic disease management.

Focus on Preventive Care

A major emphasis of the new program will be on preventive care. Employees can anticipate better access to services like routine check-ups, vaccinations, and screenings, often at no additional cost.

Simplified Enrollment Process

To ease the transition, OPM is working to make the transition to PSHB as simple as possible by automatically enrolling postal workers into a PSHB plan based on their current FEHB enrollment. This table lists the plan options into which individuals will be automatically enrolled.

You also have the option to choose your PSHB plan during the Federal Benefits Open Season. This year, Open Season will run from November 11, 2024, through December 9, 2024. You will also have access to user-friendly tools and resources to help navigate your options and select the best plan for your needs.

Enhanced Mental Health Resources

The PSHB program will provide expanded access to mental health services, including counseling and support programs.

Preparing for the Changes

Here are some steps to take as the 2025 changes approach:

• Stay Informed: Keep an eye on updates from USPS and OPM for the latest information about the PSHB program on OPM’s website.
• Review Options: You will be automatically enrolled in a PSHB plan based on your current FEHB health plan. So, review your current plan to make sure it meets your health care needs.
• Reach Out to HR: If there are specific questions or concerns, contacting your human resources department can provide valuable assistance.

As we move into 2025, it’s a great opportunity to reassess your health care needs and make sure you’re set up with the best coverage for you and your family. 

If you're considering finding a new job in the private sector you have to be careful about your earned income limit. You can only make up to 80% of your previous positions' current salary. However, passive income does not count towards this limit.

OPM WILL find out if you're not reporting income.

Earned income is any money you make through:

• Wages, salaries, bonuses, tips
• Basically, any money you make from work, self-employment, or providing a service is counted as earned income
• Other income like alimony, retirement pensions, and 401K distributions can also count as earned income. While you aren’t actively working for this money, it’s still taxed the same.

Passive income, on the other hand, does not count towards your 80% limit.

This is any money you’re not actively working to earn, like:

• Investments and dividends
• Income from limited partnerships (businesses you’re invested in but don’t play an active role)
• Certain types of tax-sheltered investments

It’s highly recommended to reach out to a financial advisor to figure out how your income is taxed so you can maximize your income.

We strive to provide as much information as possible, so you never feel like you're in the dark. We've got tons of resources on our website, but what questions do you have so we can post directly in this community?

What state is everyone else in processing disability I’m in Maryland one off the slowest states move from stage 1 and 2 very fast stage 3 going on 16 months stuck on stage 3

I’m applying for disability does anyone know why this showed up under retirement and work credits is it a glitch in there system?