Expert's View

There are a lot of you who are eligible to retire and – seeing how things have been going for federal workers in recent times – are thinking about getting out now. The big question is, how can you speed up the application process? Yes, I know that OPM recommends that you spend at least a year gearing up to retire; however, there are ways to speed up the process.

The first thing you need to do is get a copy of the Application for Immediate Retirement. For CSRS, it’s a Standard Form 2801, for FERS a Standard Form 3107. You can get one from your servicing personnel office or you can download a copy by going to www.opm.gov/forms and clicking on Standard Forms.

Read the information and instructions at the beginning of the form. There are a lot of them, and they are keyed to the sections and numbered items on the form itself. All you have to do is look at them side by side and fill in the blanks.

The application form itself is only a few pages long. The reason the instructions take up so much space is that they need to point out all the possible variations that may determine what you finally write in any given box. For example, the marital information part of the form is designed to distinguish the married from the unmarried, the married by clergyman or justice of the peace from those that weren’t, and the divorced with a court order from those without one. Then there are survivor annuity issues. Depending on what you answered, these may require you to fill out some additional paperwork.

After you’ve worked your way through all the boxes on the application, refer back to the instructions. They’ll explain where you need to take the application, what happens after your file you retirement papers, and what to do if your address changes before the processing of your application is completed. They’ll also explain how your annuity will be computed based on the type of annuity you have applied for and what will happen to your life and health insurance.

A suggestion. Before taking your application to your employing office, let it rest for a day or two. Then recheck your answers against the instructions. This will reduce the possibility of errors that could delay the processing of application and your successful move into retirement.

Yes, I know that your agency personnel and payroll offices will take time to do their part before sending your application along to OPM. And that OPM is running behind in processing cases. It could be months before you get full benefits. However, if you do a good job of filling out the application, you won’t add to the delay.