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SF 3112 Form Mistakes


SF 3112 Form Mistakes

Mistakes made in preparing, formulating, and filing for FERS Disability Retirement benefits, from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), are usually correctable, and for a number of reasons:  Most mistakes merely require additional clarifications; some “mistakes” are only apparently so, but substantively valid otherwise; and ancillary mistakes of an innocuous nature can reflect the inconsistencies of reality, as opposed to a direct contradiction between two or more persons. 

Obviously, blinders cannot be placed upon the Case Worker at the Office of Personnel Management once a FERS Disability Retirement Application Package (especially the SF 3112 forms) has been submitted by the applicant, but even if that was possible, the issue normally wouldn’t require such drastic measures. 

The question to be asked concerning this particular issue is, of course, whether or not the alleged “mistake” should be addressed, to what extent, and how prominently?  For, the old Shakespearean adage that “thou protesteth too much” can apply in a Federal Disability Retirement application, where too much emphasis upon a particular issue can unduly magnify the issue itself, as opposed to dealing with the issue in a passing manner. 

Thus, a statement made by a Federal employee in the Applicant’s Statement of Disability (SF 3112A), or by a treating doctor in the SF 3112C Physician's Statement form (SF 3112C), which indicates an undermining of meeting the legal criteria of eligibility in a Federal Disability Retirement application, the mistake then should probably be addressed by a Federal employee advocate who specializes in FERS Disability Retirement law.  

A direct statement made in a Supervisor’s Statement (SF 3112B) may or may not be relevant.  Often, such statements are merely opinions meant to undermine a Federal Disability Retirement application, but whether it is worth addressing is a discretionary issue.  The real issue concerning discrepancies or mistakes have to do with who is making it into a loud noise; and the one who makes the loudest noise, is often the one who attracts the greatest attention.  

Sincerely,  

Robert R. McGill, Esquire 


Photo Credit: monkeybusinessimages from iStock


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