Federal Employee's CSRS & FERS Federal Civil Service Retirement
& Financial Planning Resources
FERS
Disability Menu
OPM suggests that you should consider applying for disability retirement
only after you have provided your employing agency with complete
documentation of your medical condition and your agency has exhausted all
reasonable attempts to retain you in a productive capacity, through
accommodation or reassignment.
You must meet all of the following conditions to be eligible for
disability retirement:
- You must have completed at least 18 months of Federal civilian
service which is creditable under the Federal Employees Retirement
System (FERS).
- You must, while employed in a position subject to the retirement
system, have become disabled, because of disease or injury, for useful
and efficient service in your current position.
- The disability must be expected to last at least one year.
- Your agency must certify that it is unable to accommodate your
disabling medical condition in your present position and that it has
considered you for any vacant position in the same agency at the same
grade or pay level, within the same commuting area, for which you are
qualified for reassignment.
- You, or your guardian or other interested person, must apply before
your separation from service or within one year thereafter. The
application must be received by either OPM or your former employing
agency within one year of the date of your separation. This time limit
can be waived only if you were mentally incompetent on the date of
separation or within one year of this date.
- You must apply for social security disability benefits. Application
for disability retirement under FERS requires an application for social
security benefits. If the application for social security disability
benefits is withdrawn for any reason, OPM will dismiss the FERS
disability retirement application upon notification by the Social
Security Administration.
You must complete the following forms:
- SF 3107, Application for Immediate Retirement, and
- SF 3112, Documentation In Support of Disability Retirement
- If you are under age 62, documentation that you have applied for
social security disability benefits after you separated from your
agency.
If you have been separated from Federal service for 31 days or less your
employing agency will help you complete these forms and will forward the
completed forms to OPM. However, it is your responsibility to obtain
all of the information necessary for OPM to make a decision on your claim.
This includes providing all of the required forms and documents.
If you have been separated from Federal service for more than 31 days
your application for disability retirement must be received by OPM within
one year after the date of your separation. If you have been separated from
Federal service for more than 31 days, your former employing agency may no
longer have your personnel records and may not be able to recover them in
time to process your disability retirement application and submit it to OPM
within the one-year time limit. Therefore, you should submit your
application directly to OPM rather than to your agency.
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Retirement Operations Center
Post Office Box 45
Boyers, PA 16017
- Ask your former supervisor and employing agency to complete SF
3112B, SF 3112D and SF 3112E and give them to you so you can send them
to OPM.
- If you think you will not have the completed package in time to meet
the one-year time limit, send OPM the completed SF 3107 and SF 3112A,
along with the name, address and telephone number of the person(s) you
have asked to complete the remaining forms.
When we approve your application for disability retirement, we may
determine that based on your medical condition you will periodically have to
provide us with current medical information in order to continue receiving
benefits. You are responsible for paying for any medical exams that are
needed. If you do not fulfill the request for evidence of continuing
disability, it is likely that your benefit payments could be suspended until
your continuing eligibility is established.
FERS disability benefits are computed in different ways depending on the
annuitant’s age and amount of service at retirement. In addition, FERS
disability retirement benefits are recomputed after the first twelve months
and again at age 62, if the annuitant is under age 62 at the time of
disability retirement.
FERS Disability Computation if age 62 or older at retirement, or Meet the
age and service requirements for immediate voluntary retirement You receive
your “earned” annuity based on the general FERS annuity computation, as
follows-
|
If age 62 or older at retirement with less than 20 years of service,
or |
1 percent of your high-3 average
salary for each year of service |
|
Under age 62 qualified for an immediate voluntary retirement |
|
If age 62 or older with 20 or more years of service |
1.1 percent of your high-3 average salary
for each year of service |
FERS Disability Computation if
- Under age 62 at retirement, and
- Not eligible for immediate voluntary retirement
|
For the first 12 months |
60% of your high-3 average salary minus 100% of your Social
security benefit for any month in which you are entitled to Social
Security benefits
However, you are entitled to your “earned” annuity, if it is
larger than this amount.
|
|
After the first 12 months |
40% of your high-3 average salary minus 60% of your Social
Security benefit for any month in which you are entitled to Social
Security disability benefits.
However, you are entitled to your “earned” annuity, if it is
larger than this amount.
|
|
When you reach age 62
Your annuity will be recomputed using an amount that essentially
represents the annuity you would have received if you had continued
working until the day before your 62nd birthday and then retired
under FERS.
|
If your actual service, plus the credit for time as a disability
annuitant equals less than 20 years::
1 percent of your high-3 average salary for each year of service
If your actual service, plus the credit for time as a disability
annuitant equals 20 or more years:
1.1 percent of your high-3 average salary for each year of service
Total Service used in the computation:
• will be increased by the amount of time you have received a
disability annuity
Average Salary used in the computation:
• will be increased by all FERS cost-of-living increases paid during
the time you received a disability annuity.
|
FERS Publications - http://www.opm.gov/retire/pubs/pamphlets/fers.asp
FERS Creditable Service:
http://www.opm.gov/retire/pre/fers/creditable.asp
Disability Retirement:
http://www.opm.gov/retire/pre/fers/disability.asp
FERS Transfer Handbook:
http://www.opm.gov/retire/pre/election/
FAQs (Excellent List by OPM) -
http://www.opm.gov/retire/faq/faqs.asp
FERS Annuity Calculator - http://fedbens.us
FREE Online Calculator
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