Last Updated on October 3, 2016 by FERS Disability Attorney
Often, loss of vigilance occurs as a result of the relief of attaining something; once gotten, the fight to get it suddenly disappears, and the overwhelming sense of relief is likened to the response of a balloon which deflates upon a pinprick. But vigilance is the key to ongoing success. There is never a time to be nonchalant; to attain is merely another step in a process, and that process must be fought for just as diligently as during the time of fighting to reach a goal.
For Federal and Postal workers who are preparing to file, or who are in the process of filing, for Federal Disability Retirement benefits from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, whether under FERS or CSRS, the goal of getting an approval from OPM for a Federal Disability Retirement is merely an intermediate step. Once attained, the goal is to preserve and to protect. Fortunately, that is a fairly simple matter — one of maintaining regular contact with one’s doctor; of making sure that one’s doctor will continue to support one’s case in the event that the Federal or Postal annuitant receives a medical questionnaire from OPM.
OPM disability retirement is not like OWCP; because you are allowed to work at other employment and make up to 80% of what your former job currently pays, there is normally nothing wrong with engaging in normal activities which would violate any rules (unlike OWCP cases, where investigators will often videotape individuals to show the engagement of activities contrary to medical restrictions, etc.). But let not victory lead to lack of continuing vigilance; as that which was won can only be maintained with an attitude similar to keeping to the path which guided one to achieve the goal in the first place.
Sincerely,
Robert R. McGill, Esquire
Yes, After being approved for disability 052315 after being retired with absolutely no income at all it has come to calling everyday to check on the status of my retirement. Denise Lee has my case and I am said to have been missing a form called (S F 3100)that was suppose to have come from my employing agency for about a month. I have been constantly calling 3 agencies almost daily trying to make sense of this road block. Each agency says that they have sent this form to OPM
the other agencies being NFC and my employing agency TSA. One employee to remain un-named says they are giving you the run around “everything is in the system”. I have been retired since August 2014 I am about to lose my car and my home. Since these people are government employees and this is a government agency( Who Cares?) What is my next step?