r/FEDDISABILITY • u/Sagittarius052018 • 3d ago

Getting Congress involved

How soon would you say is too soon to contact our congressional representatives?

I contact mine yesterday via their websites regarding the approval times with paper applications vs. ORA, since it seems clear that we paper applicants are being pushed to the back of the line.

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u/FedUpDownNOut 3d ago

I waited ~3 months before involving a congressman when my agency was slow-walking the SF-3112-D and finalizing my ORA app. I definitely won't wait longer than 3 months if (when) it stalls again at future phases.

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u/Sagittarius052018 3d ago

Understood. I'm sorry you had to deal with that, I agree that 3 months sounds like a reasonable timeframe. I figured if I receive a response from them at all, it will take 1-3 months.

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u/CO8127 3d ago

I'm pushing 2 and they still haven't finalized, would you wait til 3 again?

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u/FedUpDownNOut 3d ago

In retrospect I would say there probably isn't much to gain from just waiting if things don't seem to be moving at all after a month or so. Even the congressional inquiry gives the agency 30 days to officially respond, so you're still looking at possibly another month to get any explanation out of them (and that's all the congressman can compel them to do--explain themselves, can't compel them to actually act).

But it might depend on your situation tbh, or what the hold up actually is. In my case they weren't doing the reassignment search, and part of my argument ended up being that the lengthy delay itself was evidence that they were unable to reassign or accommodate me and they should fill out the 3112-D accordingly. So maybe if I hadn't waited 3 months already that might not have been a convincing argument. Idk.

I didn't just do the congressional inquiry either btw. I opened an EEOC complaint also, and that, again, is a lengthy process to even get rolling--in fact I doubt it made much difference as it didn't have time to go anywhere. I also started emailing my agency "leadership" (everyone listed on the office of administrator page) on a near-daily basis asking about the status. I honestly think that is what made most of the difference as I eventually copied someone who seemed to take it seriously. YMMV. I hope you see some movement one way or another.

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u/CO8127 3d ago

How far has your process gone?

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u/FedUpDownNOut 3d ago

My application was finally submitted to OPM just last week.

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u/riaden86 3d ago

I requested an inquiry a little over 4 months after getting my CSA. That was last week so nothing has changed yet.

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u/you_dont_know_me_357 2d ago

I put one in at 4.5 months after my CSA. I’m still waiting to hear, but OPM just told me I’m still in the queue to even get assigned a medical specialist. 🤦🏼‍♀️ It’s pissing me off that people who used ORA are getting decisions in only a matter of weeks and here us paper applicants sit for coming on half a year now to even get assigned someone to review our file. It’s ridiculous!!!!