Period to Submit Claims or Challenges Coming

After the distribution packages are sent out, individuals will have six months to either file a claim or to file a challenge to the amount they stand to receive. Procedures for doing so will be in the distribution package. Those who file a claim likely will receive their payments late this year; those who file a challenge will have to wait until all challenges are resolved to receive a payment, a process that could take many more months. The settlement affects individuals who were in the special rate category-higher pay for certain in-demand general schedule positions-during 1982-1988 and who had their pay raises improperly denied or capped under policies in effect during that period. While there were some 200,000 individuals in the special rate category at the time, only about 130,000 lost out on pay due to the then-existing policies and only they stand to receive anything from the settlement.