Postal and Federal Disability Retirement: Last Minute Filings

Waiting until the very last moment in order to file a Federal Disability Retirement application is often an inevitable reflection of the medical condition itself; whether because the thought and act of filing contributes to the exacerbation of one’s condition, or because the severity of the medical condition impedes and presents an obstacle to proceeding, are somewhat irrelevant in the end; whichever may be the case, the fact is that the admixture of medical conditions, Statute of Limitations, and the need to obtain Federal Disability Retirement benefits, do not cohere well, and something inevitably suffers as a consequence.  But the law is impervious to excuses of filing inaction (with some narrow and specific exceptions); and society’s view is that a limit must be imposed at some point.

Thus:  For filing a Federal Disability Retirement application through the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, whether the Federal or Postal employee is under FERS or CSRS, the Federal or Post Office employee must file the application for Federal Medical Retirement benefits within one (1) year of being separated from Federal service.  Waiting until the last minute can have some inherent and deleterious consequences, and failing to be attuned to them can come back to haunt one at a later date.

For example: Since one has waited until the last moment to file, once an OPM Disability Retirement application is filed, there will be little to no chance of amending the application (note:  “amending” is not synonymous with “supplementing”), as one no longer has the luxury of withdrawing a Federal Disability Retirement application, amending, and refiling; for, in the meantime, the Statute of Limitations has presumably come and passed.

Filing for Federal Disability Retirement benefits and waiting until the last possible moment is, unfortunately, a reality reflecting the often anxiety-filled state of affairs, both for the individual and the pressure to file on time; with that being said, it is nevertheless a reality which must be faced, and handled in the best possible manner under the given circumstances.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill, Esquire

 

Early Retirement for Disabled Federal Workers: Timing Is Always Critical

Timing has to do with the appropriateness of an action within the proper context, before a chosen audience, in accordance with customs and the historical pretext which forms that coalescence of circumstances.  Much of one’s actions are simply to rush in order to complete the task.  But the completion of a task, if ignored in the context of audience, timing, and event, may well result in mere completion, without any resulting effectiveness.

Thus, in preparing, formulating and filing for Federal Disability Retirement benefits from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, whether under FERS or CSRS, the Federal or Postal employee must attempt to optimize every opening, every available opportunity, to take advantage of the proper timing in preparing a case, formulating the case, and filing it — at each stage of the administrative process.

Sometimes, timing of course must incur the chaos of rushing — as in meeting the 1-year Statute of Limitations in filing a Federal Disability Retirement application.  Other times, however, such as responding to a Request for Reconsideration, or to a Medical Questionnaire, requires an appropriate consideration of “when” to file the medical information, the updated medical report, etc.  Further, in the context of today’s reality, where the Office of Personnel Management is presently behind in its review of Federal Disability Retirement applications, there is the question of when “best” the time is to submit additional & updated documentation, whether it is a received approval from SSDI or other persuasive documentation.

Experience alone will often determine knowledge of timing; that is why old men nod with knowing smiles at youth, where time is wasted upon unnecessarily expended energy and enthusiasm.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill, Esquire