Federal Disability Retirement (FERS)

Federal Disability Retirement Attorney

OPM Retirement and FERS Retirement

Andalman & Flynn: successfully piecing together the puzzle of the Federal Disability Retirement Application to obtain approval for disability benefits.

At Andalman & Flynn, we fight for and we defend the rights of federal workers and United States Postal Service workers across the United States to protect and secure their financial future. Both federal workers and postal workers are covered by the same retirement systems.

All new federal workers and postal workers since the late 1980s are covered by FERS, the Federal Employees Retirement System. Workers who have been in the federal system longer than that may be covered instead by the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS).

Imagine this: You are a federal employee in a secure and high-ranking position within a federal government agency. You have 22 years of federal service, you rarely ever miss a day of work and have had nothing but outstanding performance reviews throughout your federal service. All of a sudden, the secure life that you have been enjoying is brought to a screeching halt because you suffer a severe head injury. You try to work but when you go to work you are unable to concentrate and have great difficulty with comprehension and memory to the point that you cannot satisfactorily perform your job duties anymore, and the agency has to have a co-worker pick up the slack. You also suffer fatigue and headaches that cause you to miss work and your attendance becomes unacceptable. You are devastated by this, but feel that financially you cannot stop working.

All you can think is “What am I going to do and how am I going to financially survive?”

There is help for you, and it is help to which you are entitled. Federal Disability Retirement—or FDR—is a right of all employees covered under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). After meeting certain requirements, covered federal workers can collect a portion of their salary if a medical condition prevents them from performing “useful and efficient” federal service in their position or a reasonably comparable position within the federal government. This benefit is not given to you as a favor or a handout. You have paid for these disability retirement benefits with contributions to your retirement fund through payroll deductions over your years of federal service.

If you are a federal worker covered under FERS and have become unable to work due to a medical condition, you should contact Andalman & Flynn.

We have experienced and knowledgeable attorneys who can answer any questions you may have and represent you through all stages of the initial application process as well as any necessary appeals, including going before the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). Our attorneys can also represent you on other disputes that may arise out of your health problems such as proposed removals and other disciplinary actions, claims for reasonable accommodations, the use of leave and the continuation of health insurance.

The application for FDR includes numerous forms that can be complex and difficult to piece together. The application is like a puzzle with each piece going through different channels before it is put together as a complete packet for submission to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Our staff will work with you on your application forms and statements and with the other necessary offices, which may include your supervisor, doctors, agency human resources, payroll and legal offices and OPM. We will put together the pieces of the puzzle to appropriately present your claim and maximize your chances of gaining approval of your application.

Here at Andalman & Flynn, we have an extremely high win rate on these cases and invite you to read about some of the individual Federal Disability Retirement cases we have successfully handled.

Additional Information

Learn more about Federal Disability Retirement (FDR) benefits.