Last Updated on February 4, 2013
Federal Disability Retirement is best anticipated and implemented within the larger context of a long term plan. For, with the reduction of immediate income, replaced by an annuity which is fixed, but with a future potential to earn additional earned income in another (or even similar) vocation, it is best seen not just for the present circumstances, but as a base from which to build a greater future.
Future considerations may need to be entertained. For example, how aggressively should Social Security Disability (SSDI) be pursued? If the Federal or Postal employee attempting to become eligible for Federal Disability Retirement benefits will not be immediately seeking to work at another, private-sector job, and there is a good chance for qualifying for SSDI, then you may want to consider seriously attempting to qualify for SSDI.
For most people, the FERS requirement of filing for SSDI is a mere formality. For those who intend upon using the immediacy of the annuity for a recuperative period in order to attend to medical needs, then perhaps a minimal effort in applying for SSDI would be appropriate.
With the recent case of Stephenson v. OPM now firmly in the “win” column, any issue about future recalculation once a Federal or Postal employee loses his or her entitlement to SSDI benefits, has now been resolved, and the Federal or Postal annuitant need not worry about the issue. Of course, there is a wide chasm between what “the law” says, and how quickly OPM will do what they are now mandated to do. But in the end, OPM will have to recalculate and reinstate any amounts which were offset, once a Federal or Postal employee loses his or her SSDI benefits.
Sincerely,
Robert R. McGill, Esquire
Sir, my situation goes back to 1996 when the veterans hospital doctors awarded me to 100% disabled the Postal Service totally screwed me… With this accusation, I have a lot of proof of the providence RI main office of lies and government forms falsified!! They… because of what they did how they treated me made my 10% military combat wounded disability go from 10% to 30%; to 50% to 70%; and then to 100% disabled in Feb 1996; yet, they lied on forms stating august 1996 and used the in-between time as lost time which really messed a lot of what I should have as accrued time I even have Supreme Court ruling against the Postal Service for not allowing or going by Federal Law of not being able to use leave time or leave without pay (LWOP), in which Herbert Hoover signed into law that any Federal Agency cannot use any kind of days I would use due to my military combat sickness against me, and yet they did. I really don’t know what can be done at this time, but I do believe any Statue of Limitations should be waived because of how they caused me to go to total and permanent 100 percent disabled.