The time required to process federal retirement applications has been a pain point for new retirees—and a basis of complaints about OPM from them and many in Congress—for decades. Image: Crevis/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffOPM has taken a step toward automating processing of federal retirement applications, by requiring agencies using one of the two major payroll services, the National Finance Center and the Interior Business Center, to submit those applications to it only in digital form starting June 2.
“The federal workforce deserves a retirement process that matches the demands of the 21st century. Legacy systems, with outdated technology and cumbersome procedures, have delayed retirements and frustrated employees who have dedicated their careers to public service. By harnessing modern technology and inter-agency collaboration, OPM has been working to deliver a retirement process that is fast, user-friendly, and responsive to the needs of our employees,” OPM said in a memo to agencies on chcoc.gov.
OPM is offering training and assistance to affected agencies, and will facilitate online submissions from those agencies through its Online Retirement Application system. OPM further said it will coordinate with the payroll providers to ensure all agencies they service will have access to the ORA.
Agencies using other payroll services, such as DoD’s Defense Finance and Accounting Service, will be notified in the future about a changeover for them, the memo adds.
The time required to process federal retirement applications has been a pain point for new retirees—and a basis of complaints about OPM from them and many in Congress—for decades. Numerous prior initiatives have focused on beefing up either personnel or IT or both; a system launched to fanfare during the Bush administration soon was scrapped when it proved unequal to the task—as the GAO had warned in advance. OPM also has sent numerous sets of guidance aimed at employing agencies and individuals aimed at reducing errors and omissions that slow the process.
The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association said that while it is “cautiously optimistic, we’re not ready to celebrate yet.” NARFE noted that it has long promoted modernization of retirement processing including use of online applications and that OPM previously had piloted the concept.
“If it works well, it should cut back on burdensome delays for federal retirees awaiting their full retirement annuities. This announcement provides hope for such a future,” NARFE said.
However, it cautioned that “we need to see how this system works in practice. Will it effectively cut down processing time, and by how much? Will it maintain accuracy in processing applications, so retirees receive their full benefits?”
“Additionally, will the new system, in coordination with the remaining staff at OPM, be prepared to handle the wave of retirements coming from those eligible to retire who have separated from service due to reductions in force or from those taking deferred resignation offers? Providing accurate and timely retirement benefits is the least the administration can do for those whose careers in public service have been prematurely and unceremoniously ended,” NARFE said.
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See also,
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