Q: I served as an Air National Guard full-time WG-12 technician from March 1993 until January 2003 when I became medically ineligible to serve in the military capacity that is a prerequisite to holding a job as a civil service technician. I performed the same duties when doing military time as I did as a FERS employee but was given an OPM disability retirement because I lost my military status. I learned today that there is a special retirement supplement to disability payments for law enforcement and military reserve technicians which is intended to bridge the income gap until Social Security eligibility is reached. Should I have been receiving this supplemental pay for the past eight years, and would a request for retroactive payment even be considered?
A: No. Disability retirees aren’t eligible for the special retirement supplement. To see who is and isn’t entitled to that benefit, go to www.opm.gov/retire/pubs/handbook/C051.pdf.
