Even though a judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims has approved a settlement reached in the two decade-old lawsuit on back pay for certain special rate employees, some waiting remains. The judgment is expected to become final on February 18, barring further legal complications-and this case has a long record of legal complications. Assuming the order does become final, letters would go out to eligible persons informing them of the amount they stand to receive and procedures for either claiming that amount or challenging the calculation. The payments will go to an estimated 129,000 current and former employees who had their raises improperly capped or denied in 1982-1988, with the typical payment-including back pay, interest and an adjustment for diminished retirement benefits in some cases-of about $1,000 to $3,000, although payments for some could go much higher.