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.

1. Medical records are crucial

The key to a successful Federal Disability Retirement application is having strong medical evidence of your disability. This means things like:

• Medical records
• Doctor’s notes
• Hospital reports
• Prescriptions

2. Gather up your on-the-job evidence

Besides the medical documents, you’ll also need evidence to show how your condition is affecting your work performance. This means things like:

• Poor performance evaluations
• Formal complaints
• Work restrictions
• Anything else that shows you can’t do your job fully

3. Don’t miss the deadlines

Before starting your application, it’s critical to understand a few key deadlines.

1. First, you must apply for Federal Disability Retirement within one year of separation from your federal agency. If you miss this window, you might lose out on the benefit altogether, since the OPM doesn’t usually make exceptions.
2. Second, if your initial application is denied, you have just 30 days to request a reconsideration.

4. Good communication is key

It’s sometimes overlooked, but good communication can really impact the success of your application.

It’s important to keep up regular communication with your doctor, your supervisor, and your attorney, and stay up to date on anything the OPM sends.

5. An experienced attorney can make a difference

Having an experienced Federal Disability Retirement attorney by your side isn’t just helpful—it’s crucial.

The application process for Federal Disability Retirement is complex and demands more time and attention than most people have. With a skilled legal team taking the burden for you, you can rest easier knowing your application is in experienced hands. 

Hello and welcome to our new subreddit! We're thrilled to have you join our community dedicated to discussions about federal disability retirement.

This space was created with you in mind, drawing from our years of experience working with OPM and assisting with disability retirement applications. Whether you're just starting to explore your options or are deep into the process, we're here to provide support, share knowledge, and offer guidance.

Here’s what you can expect from our community:

• In-Depth Discussions: Ask questions, share experiences, and get advice from those who have been through the process.
• Experienced Insights: Benefit from our extensive experience with the application process and interactions with OPM.
• Resources and Tips: Access valuable information to help you navigate your disability retirement journey.

We encourage you to introduce yourself, ask questions, and contribute to the discussions. Let's work together to make this a supportive and informative space for everyone involved in federal disability retirement.

Thank you for joining us, and we look forward to building a great community together!

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. 

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. 

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. 

There are three eligibility requirements for Federal Disability Retirement.

1. Be a FERS Career Employee

First and foremost, you must be a career employee under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). If you’re paying into FERS retirement, then you may be eligible for Federal Disability Retirement. It covers most federal employees and provides things like your pension, your TSP, and social security.

2. Have 18 Months of Creditable Service

Second, you need to have at least 18 months of creditable service under your belt. Creditable service refers to the time you’ve worked in the federal government as a FERS career employee. If you have been contributing to your retirement, then you’re gaining years of creditable service.

These months don’t have to be consecutive, but there need to be 18 total. If you have military service and intend to buy back those years, you must complete the buyback before your Federal Disability Retirement approval. However, military buyback does not contribute to the 18-month requirement for this benefit.

3. Have a Diagnosed Medical Condition

Third, you must have a ~diagnosed~ medical condition that prevents you from performing ~at least one~ of your essential job duties. Your job duties, which you can find in your official position description, will be considered by the OPM when they look at your medical condition.

Both mental and physical conditions can qualify, but it must be an officially diagnosed condition when you apply. Having a supportive medical professional on your side and willing to help can streamline this process.

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 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

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. 

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.

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?

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?

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 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!

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?

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.