I keep getting the same feedback that tells me that people are still receiving erroneous information: SSA disability benefits do NOT have to be applied for first before you file for OPM Disability retirement benefits. In fact, the Office of Personnel Management only needs the receipt showing that a disability retirement annuitant filed for SSA disability benefits at the time of approval. Further, OPM would actually prefer that the SSA denial was based upon reasons other than the fact that the Applicant is still working, because the coordinating off-set between SSA & FERS disability benefits would come into play; however, if an applicant files for SSA benefits & files for disability retirement benefits while still working (and, for most individuals, it is an economic necessity that one continue to work for as long as possible during the process of obtaining disability retirement benefits), then that individual will summarily be denied by the Social Security Administration based not on the medical disability claimed, but rather, upon the fact that the applicant’s current income exceeds the maximum allowed by the Social Security Administration rules governing income and eligibility for benefits based upon income. Thus, for the 50th time: a FERS disability retirement applicant does NOT need to file for SSA disability benefits before filing for OPM disability retirement benefits. At some point in the process, prior to, or at the time of approval by OPM, the individual should file, obtain a receipt of filing, and fax it to OPM.
I hope this clarifies the issue.
Sincerely,
Robert R. McGill, Esquire
Filed under: Clarifications of Laws or Rules, FERS Disability, OPM Disability & SSA Social Security Disability Benefits | Tagged: applying for federal disability, applying for opm medical retirement, civil service disability, CSRS disability retirement federal attorney, disability retirement at the USPS, disability retirement opm, fdr and ssdi offset or interaction, federal disability retirement for special agents, federal employees disability retirement and ssd, Federal Medical Evidence of Record Program (FEDMER), FERS disability retirement, if the ssa's decision address the same medical condition, ill postal worker, injured postal worker, medical disability, medical retirement for federal employees in south dakota, nationwide representation of federal employees, opm disability and social security income considerations, opm disability retirement and gs job, opm disability retirement for a employee in Wisconsin, opm disability retirement for doi interior employees, opm disability retirement in michigan, opm disability retirement in my state and town, OPM First Stage Disability Application, opm requires to file for ssdi benefits but not to get approved, Postal Service disability, representing federal employees from any us government agency, representing federal employees in and outside the country, severe injury compensation for federal law enforcement agents, Social Security and OPM disability relationship, social security filing requirement for fers not for csrs, the light duty postal employee considering ssdi benefits, USPS disability retirement |
OPM Disability Retirement 
Can I collect the following Military Retirment, VA disability, social security disability, and OPM (Disability Retirement) from the post office?? I was told by one person i could not and another person i could. Please let me know. Thanks
I did just that because I was told by HRM that I had to apply. I was denied because I was still in temporary position, but after being approved for OPM medical retirement. I was sent a letter from opm to reapply with SSD. I just received my later that I was denied, Should I file an appeal or is the denial all I need. This really gets confusing. Thank You!