The New Year is upcoming. For those who are anxiously awaiting a decision on their Federal Disability Retirement applications, remember that this is a continuing process. Thus, whether or not the application gets approved or denied prior to the coming New Year, the process of then having the Agency provide the necessary payroll information in order for interim payments to begin, will still take some time. Unfortunately, the Office of Personnel Management is a bureaucracy. Within each bureacracy, as with all such gigantic entities, there are individuals who are competent in what they do; others, less so. Once a disability retirement application has been approved, the best thing which can be done to expedite payment on an approved claim, is to be persistent (on a daily basis, and some times on an hourly basis); be cordial and professional with each person you speak with, but be firm; get the name, telephone number, and write down any “promises” which an OPM person makes or proposes to make; then get a firm date as to when the promise will be fulfilled. Also, it is helpful, if possible, to get a supervisor’s direct number. Remember, good manners and courtesy will get you a long way; “befriending” an individual will get you even further; and gaining a sympathetic ear will get you the farthest. Be persistent, patient, and a pain-in-the-behind — all at once.
Sincerely,
Robert R. McGill, Esquire
Filed under: OPM Disability Application | Tagged: being polite with the opm representative or opm disability specialist, disability federal workers, disability retirement application, disability retirement at the USPS, disability retirement facts, federal disability retirement opm, federal employees disability, FERS Disability, FERS disability retirement, medical condition(s), meeting an appeal deadline, OPM disability retirement, Post Office disability, timing questions, Waiting for Federal Disability Retirement, Workers Comp disability | Leave a comment »
