OPM noted that its own employees involved in processing applications were not subject to shutdown furloughs because they are paid from the retirement trust fund. Image: megaflopp/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffThe backlog of retirement applications pending at OPM increased by about half in October to some 34,600 as the surge of retirements from employees who retired in September at the end of their deferred resignation offers started reaching OPM.
The more than 20,300 applications received in October increased the average processing time at OPM to 79 days, after being as low as 45 days in June. The average time has been increasing since then, with higher than average numbers of retirement applications reaching OPM in May and June.
OPM last month had said that some 35,000 applications were pending the online retirement application portal with a September retirement date—applications that were to be sent on to OPM for adjudication once agency personnel and payroll offices finished their work on them. Agency-level review typically takes from several weeks to a month or more. However, in many cases the personnel who do that work were furloughed due to the shutdown, meaning the full impact of the surge has not yet reached OPM.
The 35,000 figure further does not include additional employees who will retire after accepting deferred resignation offers with an ending date as late as the end of the year; some agencies allowed that for reasons including enabling employees to have enough service time to qualify for immediate retirement benefits. Also, for reasons including maximizing payouts for unused annual leave, there always is a surge of retirements in late December into the early days of January.
OPM has long been criticized for the pace of adjudicating applications after they arrive there. In a recently posted set of questions and answers about the retirement surge, OPM noted that its own employees involved in processing applications were not subject to shutdown furloughs because they are paid from the retirement trust fund.
In that posting, OPM said among other things that it is working to speed the payment of “interim” benefits—partial payments pending a final adjudication—adding personnel to the task and new incentives for them, and is working with agencies to “improve application quality and speed.” It also cited technology-based initiatives including the launch in the summer of the online application portal.
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