Sometimes a federal employee will be hurt on the job and won’t be able to continue performing his or her duties. There are times when those agencies will just move those employees into a position with limited or light responsibilities, but sometimes an employee won’t have the ability to do those jobs either. In these cases, they must submit to the OPM a federal disability retirement claim.

The Office of Personnel Management, or OPM, has a number of policies and regulations that can easily confuse someone without legal experience. The OPM federal disability retirement regulations require that everything is submitted according to their rules. You may have to consult an attorney for guidance to make sure everything is done right.

If you are enrolled in the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), you may be eligible with the OPM for federal disability retirement annuities. This program will pay a portion of your wages for the rest of your life, no matter how the actual condition occurred.

It is also important to note that employees are eligible for these programs even if the condition occurred prior to employment. You simply have to show that you have satisfactorily performed your job for’ months for FERS or five years for CSRS.

There is also a social security disability program, but it differs from how the OPM federal disability retirement program works. Federal employees don’t have to prove “total disability.” They simply have to show that they are disabled from performing one or more of their essential duties. That means you’ll be covered if you sustain an injury that prevents you from working that particular job.

The Office of Personnel Management also allows the employee to continue working while their claim is awaiting approval. You can even get another job and still receive your retirement annuity. However, the income from your new job cannot exceed more than 80% of what your current job pays.

No one likes to think about the unfortunate things that may happen to us, but we have to prepare for any eventuality. As a federal employee, you can know that you’ll be covered in these circumstances if you are part of those programs.

It’s important to get all the basics right from the very beginning when you file a claim with the OPM. Federal disability retirement benefits will only be awarded if all the regulations are followed and the proper documents and proof of disability is provided. If you need a lawyer to help you get things sorted out, don’t hesitate to seek their assistance.

Stephanie Martin federal worker working in the OPM office. She understands thoroughly Federal Disability Retirement and OPM disability retirement.