March 11, 2010 by Gavin Shields
You do not have to worry over disabilities if you are a federal employee. This may not allow you to perform the most essential aspects of your work. This may even prompt you to decide on leaving your work for good. However, you can be qualified for disability retirement benefits, which is a responsibility that the government must fulfill. Laws have been established to provide federal workers like you who have served the country.
You probably have heard your co-employees mention OPM retirement. Actually, it is how disability retirement is also called. OPM refers to the Office of the Personnel Management, the agency where you submit your claims. This office decides whether you are qualified for benefits of disabled retirees or not. Once your application is granted, you can begin to receive these benefits regularly.
As a federal employee, it is necessary for you to understand the policies for acquiring OPM retirement benefits. If you do, you will not have much trouble in making the first steps in processing it. The very first among these is to obtain a certification from a physician that states your disability. This does not have to be a result of an accident while you are doing your job for the government though.
However, the process for availing of OPM retirement benefits is not always smooth. There are many times when errors occur in the bureaucratic system behind it. The usual result can either be a delay of approval or outright refusal to grant the disability status. Consequently, this can bring about a number of disgruntled former employees. Their most likely recourse is to seek the help of lawyers who are experts in this particular issue.
However, you should not hire a good attorney only when you sense that you are going to have trouble in realizing your disability retirement claims. The right thing to do is to immediately seek the advice of a lawyer when you decide to retire. Remember, a long-time federal employee does not always mean that he knows and understands all laws that cover post-employment issues. Lawyers take better initiative at the early phase of the application. If not, they will have to treat more complicated issues with the OPM instead.
A former employee must immediately process his OPM retirement within one year after his separation from the job. If he is not able to do so during this timeframe, his benefits will be forfeited. If he does and it is approved, he will receive regularly receive retirement benefits regardless of whether he has other sources of income or not. He is allowed to work and earn money other than the amount he will receive from the OPM.
If you can’t proceed holding a job because of an injury received while working for the government, OPM disability retirement may be available to you. If you feel this applies to you, find out today if you are eligible for disability retirement.
