Simplicity is both a process and a goal; it is that which defines ease of action, minimization of effort, and beauty in its foundational form. Simplicity implies quietude of form, and reduction to substance and essence.
In preparing, formulating and filing for Federal Disability Retirement benefits from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, whether under FERS or CSRS, it is always best, most effective, and of the optimal benefit, to approach the formulation with a focus upon simplicity of formulation.
One can become embroiled in the morass of the procedural and administration complexities. As information is declared to be “power”, and as there is an infinite and exponential explosion of information these days, so one proceeds in life on the assumption that the more information one acquires, the more powerful the outcome. Such logical absurdity, however, overlooks the tool of discretion — for “information” in and of itself is a neutral, valueless commodity; the selective plucking and application of such information is what becomes powerful. But how can one select the proper information before one has gained a knowledge of a subject? That is the conundrum.
Ultimately, in preparing a Federal Disability Retirement application, the Federal or Postal employee is wise to stick to three basic principles: Focus upon the medical condition; focus upon the essential elements of the positional description; make sure that the nexus between the former two is established without contradiction.
The rest of the complexities of the process should be left to those who are more knowledgeable.
Sincerely,
Robert R. McGill, Esquire
OPM Disability Retirement, Et Cetera… 