Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Waiting on OPM: What Really Controls How Long Your Disability Retirement Takes
Ask a dozen federal employees how long their disability retirement took, and you will likely hear a dozen different answers. Some had a decision within a few months. Others waited well over a year. That spread is not random. The timeline for an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) disability retirement claim depends less on… Read More »
Eighteen Months on the Clock: The Service Rule That Can Make or Break an OPM Disability Claim
You have been a federal employee for a little over a year when an injury or a diagnosis changes everything. Doing your job now feels impossible, and one question keeps nagging at you: is your short time in government enough to qualify for disability retirement? For many employees under the Federal Employees Retirement System… Read More »
SSDI Eligibility for a Chronic Lifelong Condition That Has Worsened
Many chronic illnesses begin relatively early in life — some even in childhood, others in early adulthood — and may have manageable symptoms for years or even for decades. However, various types of chronic diseases can worsen as a person ages or as they deal with other medical diagnoses that make the chronic illness… Read More »
Understanding OPM Disability Retirement Benefits for Cancer
Are you a federal employee who was recently diagnosed with a form of cancer, and is your illness preventing you from working? If so, you could be eligible to seek Office of Personnel Management (OPM) disability retirement benefits. It is important to know that eligibility is based on medical factors, as well as details… Read More »
Your Eligibility for SSDI with an Autoimmune Disease
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits are often crucial for adults who have sustained serious injuries in accidents or have been diagnosed with debilitating medical conditions that prevent them from working. Unlike other forms of disability benefits administered through the Social Security Administration (SSA), SSDI benefits can be available to adults whether they were… Read More »
Asthma and SSDI Eligibility
Asthma is a common condition, and in many people, it can be severe. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, approximately 28 million Americans have asthma, which is about 8 percent of the total population. Rates are highest among adults between the ages of 35-64, and among Black and Indigenous Americans, though… Read More »
SSDI Eligibility with Schizophrenia
Whether you were recently diagnosed with schizophrenia, or you have known of your diagnosis for quite some time but the condition has worsened significantly in recent time, you may be wondering about your eligibility to obtain Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits through the Social Security Administration (SSA) if your condition prevents you from… Read More »
Could the Compassionate Allowances Program Speed Up Your Social Security Disability Claim?
If you have applied for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits, you already know that the waiting period can stretch from several months to well over a year. For most applicants, that wait is simply part of the process. However, if you have been diagnosed with one of the most severe medical conditions recognized by… Read More »
Denied OPM Disability Retirement? A Second Review Could Change Everything
Federal employees who apply for OPM disability retirement often assume that a denial letter is the end of the road. It is not. The Office of Personnel Management reviews thousands of applications every year, and a first denial is frequently based on missing documentation, unclear medical language, or an incomplete picture of how a… Read More »
Could a Reassignment Offer Derail Your OPM Disability Claim?
Federal employees pursuing OPM disability retirement often assume that a medical diagnosis alone will carry their claim. It will not. One of the lesser known pitfalls in the process involves what happens if your agency offers you another job instead of supporting your retirement application. If you turn down that offer, or if you… Read More »
