Disability retirement

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Q. I applied and was just approved for disability retirement, and I am waiting for them to determine my final benefits. I have received a check for back pay for $4,677.44 for six months from the day I retired. I understand they take 100 percent of Social Security Disability Insurance out the first year, but I did not receive SSDI payments during that period of back pay. I did not receive my first SSDI payment until Feb. 11. I have been off work due to illness since March 2013 and retired July 2013. I read that back pay starts from the last payday and was told by a benefits counselor that it starts from the day you retire. What is the correct answer?

A. When you are approved for disability retirement, your entitlement to an annuity begins on your last day of pay.

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Reg Jones was head of retirement and insurance policy at the Office of Personnel Management. Email your retirement-related questions to fedexperts@federaltimes.com.

2 Comments

  1. Has anyone filed for FERS Disability retirement without the use of an attorney and was successful ..? I’m filing soon but these attorneys are so expensive and being out of work causes a financial strain. I want to be able to file on my own and be successful but I can’t find any testimonials to that . Help?

    • Applications for disability retirement are rarely filed with the help of an attorney. Yet most of those are successful. I’m unaware of any benefit to hiring an attorney for that purpose.

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