The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) provided an update on federal retirement processing amid a growing backlog fueled by employees taking the deferred resignation program and early retirements.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
In a blog post<\/a> called \u201cPeeling the Onion on Federal Retirement Processing,\u201d OPM Director Scott Kupor notes that for the first time, applications made via the Online Retirement Application (ORA) are surpassing those made via paper.\u00a0 The director said there are currently 107,000 applications sitting in ORA.\u00a0<\/p>\n Director Kupor also aimed to clear up questions on ORA, noting that while it offers advantages such as faster processing times, greater transparency, and ease of use, \u201cit can\u2019t perform miracles (at least not yet).\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The ORA Process<\/p>\n Director Kupor provided updates on the process, including processing times at each stage. He noted the following:<\/p>\n Applicants are taking an average of 14 days to finish their ORA applications which are then routed to agency HR departments.<\/p>\n ORA applications are sitting in agency HR departments for an average of 60 days.<\/p>\n Then it comes to the agency\u2019s payroll provider for final pay and pension calculation. That\u2019s taking about 51 days on average.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHere\u2019s the reality: OPM does not receive a fully completed application and cannot begin its work \u2013 on average \u2013 for about 120 days from when the applicant starts the application process,\u201d noted Director Kupor.\u00a0<\/p>\n Out of the 107,000 ORA applications, about 50 percent are currently at OPM, 30 percent with payroll providers, 12 percent with agency HR, and eight percent with the applicant.\u00a0<\/p>\n OPM\u2019s Role<\/p>\n Director Kupor notes that when cases reach OPM, \u201cwe move quickly\u201d noting that on average, within seven days of receiving the application, annuitants will be getting 80 percent of their expected final post-adjudication payout.\u00a0<\/p>\n He also notes that OPM is completing ORA applications in less than 40 days from when they are received, twice as fast as paper claims.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe are working with the HR and Payroll providers to help reduce the time it takes for them to complete their ORA work, and we are continuously rolling out new ORA features that expand the types of cases we can handle and will reduce adjudication times further,\u201d wrote the director.\u00a0<\/p>\n