What Timeline Should I Anticipate for My OPM Disability Retirement Claim?
If you are currently a federal employee and have been seriously injured or diagnosed with a medical condition that has left you disabled, you should be looking into the possibility of seeking disability retirement through the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). You may already be aware of OPM disability retirement benefits, and you might even have initiated the process of moving forward with an OPM disability retirement claim.
Regardless of whether you are just learning about OPM disability retirement or you have begun the process, we know that the timeline can be complicated to understand. There is an official timetable for each step of the OPM disability retirement claims process, but then there is the reality of the processing time it takes based on the number of claims received. What is the timeline you should anticipate for your OPM disability claim? Our national OPM claims process attorneys can provide you with more information below, and we can discuss your particular case with you today.
OPM Formal Timeline for Your Claim
The event that will trigger the start of your OPM claims process timeline is the determination of your date of separation — this is your date of retirement. Once this date is determined, then you will need to provide required notice and submit all required documents. Once everything has been received, the processing of your OPM disability retirement claim will begin. According to the OPM, most people will experience a process that takes three to five months from the determined date of separation, although the process can take longer.
Over the weeks and months that follow the date of separation and submission of all required documents, the process will no longer be in your hands. First, agency and payroll processing will take place over approximately 30-45 days. The payroll office will then submit your retirement package to the OPM, where it will be assigned a claim number. This “intake” part of the process usually takes between 10-15 days. Then, the official OPM processing will start, which takes an average of 10-90 days.
Recent OPM Processing Times
What is the actual processing time for this latter stage of the process, when the OPM officially processes your disability retirement claim?
The OPM keeps data on recent processing times, and those times have increased over the last year. In November 2024, the average processing time in days was 58 days. By October 2025, the average processing time in days had increased to 79 days. Still, those processing times are within the OPM’s stated average, which suggests that you can expect an average processing time of between 10-90 days as the OPM suggests, but that you may need to plan on the longer end of that timetable. During the processing time, you may be eligible for interim benefits, and your lawyer can help you to determine your eligibility for these.
Contact Our National OPM Claims Process Attorney Today to Seek Assistance with Your Claim
The OPM claims process can be confusing, and the specific timeline you might be able to expect is often unclear. When you are in a situation where you cannot work because of a disability, we know how critical it is to meet all of the requirements for OPM disability retirement benefits and to have your claim processed as quickly as possible. One of the experienced national OPM claims process lawyers at the Law Offices of Stephen Barszcz can assist you from start to finish with your OPM disability retirement claim, and we are here to answer any questions you have about the timeline or otherwise. Contact our firm today to learn more about how we can help you.
Sources:
opm.gov/retirement-center/retirement-statistics/retirement-processing-status.pdf
