Lots of questions about FERS disability retirement.
I have been suffering from several issues for a few years now: bone and heel spurs, psoriatic, arthritis, and psoriasis, type II diabetes, back issues. I worked in a regulatory role (field inspections or sedentary desk work depending on the season), exemplary performance with excellent attendance. I never asked for an RA during my employment but last year when we were forced to RTO, I knew I couldn’t do it any longer. My podiatrist told me to go see a spine specialist so I scheduled an appointment for March 2025. He discovered I had several severe issues with my spine, including spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, and the list goes on. I reached out to ask HR if I was eligible for the VERA and they told me yes so I decided to take the VERA with retirement starting Oct 1, as well as the deferred resignation. I started treatments for my back in May and things seem to be going well until I was hit from behind in my vehicle on Sept 12, 2025 and now the treatments aren’t working. My doctor said surgery is not an if for me anymore, it’s a when. A month before my retirement was to begin, HR emailed me and told me I wasn’t eligible for the VERA after all. I had a gap in service and they had never corrected my SEDR date. Since the shutdown was set to begin, and I had already moved into a lower paying position at an elementary school to meet the Social Security supplement income limit, my only other option was to take the MRA +10. Recently someone told me that because I was still a federal employee through September 30 and therefore covered under FERS, I should apply for disability retirement. I filled out the application, my doctors have written letters and are supporting me 100% and I’m about to mail this package in so that I will meet the one year deadline. My questions are am I crazy to submit this? I didn’t have performance issues because I worked through the pain. At the time I decided to leave, I most likely would not have been moved to another position because we were under a hiring freeze. Has anyone ever done this? I called OPM and actually talked to someone and she said just write on your cover letter what your CSA number is and tell us that you want to move from an MRI +10 to a disability retirement. Also, in early 2024, our position titles changed from general to regulatory. The general PD didn’t list out all of the inspection work we’re required to do. I’ve asked everyone, including HR, for a copy of the new PD but no one has it. HR said they don’t know what I’m talking about but they clearly see my position changed via SF50 in 2024. How do I explain that to OPM in this application?