Federal Disability Retirement lasts until age 62, at which point this benefit will recalculate into your regular FERS retirement pension. Your regular FERS pension is calculated based on your creditable years of service and your high 3 average. The years you earned while on Federal Disability Retirement will count towards your retirement calculation.
Continuation of pay lasts for 45 calendar days and can provide you with income while you are waiting for your OWCP claim to be accepted. To qualify for continuation of pay you must have experienced a traumatic injury while on the job. If you are unable to return to full duty after your continuation of pay or OWCP runs out, you may qualify for Federal Disability Retirement.
The government could penalize you for retiring early depending on which retirement option you choose. If you choose an MRA +10 retirement, your pension will be reduced for each year that you are under age 62. However, if you are looking to retire early due to a disability, Federal Disability Retirement is a much better option.
Working while totally disabled is possible, but you will have to stick to a strict earning limit set by the Social Security Administration. This limit is called substantial gainful activity and it changes every year. If you are approved for SSDI, you may also qualify for Federal Disability Retirement, which can provide you with even more money in retirement.
Utilizing your sick and annual leave can help support your federal disability retirement application by showing an attendance deficiency. If you have run out of sick and annual leave, you may be able to use FMLA, LWOP, reasonable accommodations, or disability benefits. Federal Disability Retirement is an option if you can no longer fully perform your job.
Raises and salary increases are something that catches every employee's eye and federal employees in particular have a lot of benefits available to them throughout their service. One of those benefits is Locality Pay, which provides an increase to your salary based on...
The Bruner Presumption is enacted if you are separated from your federal agency for a medical inability to perform your job. If you are applying for Federal Disability Retirement, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will have to prove that you are NOT disabled. The Bruner Presumption switches the burden of proof from you to the OPM.
Update (7/16/25): Right now, the wait time between receiving your CSA letter and getting your initial decision is about 2-6 months, though each case is different and this timeframe can vary. If you're a federal employee considering retirement due to a disability,...
Many veterans are injured during their service and find it difficult or impossible to work with the injuries they sustained while on duty. Veterans risked their lives for our country and VA Disability is an option for them to get the compensation they deserve for...
Applying for Federal Disability Retirement from the Veterans’ Health Administration (VHA) can be a difficult process. This article will provide an overview of the process and offer some tips on how to improve your chances of success. Veterans' Health Administration...
If you are a disabled federal employee, you may be wondering how to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance. SSDI is a government program that provides benefits to employees who are unable to work because of a disability. You will also need to apply for Social...
If you are separated from federal service, there are a few things you need to know about applying for Federal Disability Retirement. The process is a little different, and there are strict deadlines that must be followed. In this article, we will walk you through...
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