FERS Disability Retirement Eligibility

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.

FERS Disability Menu

Determine Your Eligibility
Apply for Disability Retirement
Periodic Exams
Disability Retirement Calculator
Related Links

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 If the application for social security disability benefits is withdrawn for any reason, OPM will dismiss the FERS disability retirement application upon notification by the Social Security Administration.

Applying for FERS Disability Retirement

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.

Periodic Medical Exams to Keep Your Disability Benefit

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.

Disability Retirement Calculator

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-

Under age 62 qualified for an immediate voluntary retirement
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
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.

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.

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