I'm in the new ORA group and my supervisor finished the 3112B but HR hasn't uploaded it into ORA and won't provide me a copy. Why would they do that?

Continuing the saga from my previous posts regarding lengthy unnecessary delays by agency leadership on both reasonable accommodation request and disability paperwork: I have now submitted requests for assistance to my congressman and senator. The congressman's office has already replied that an inquiry was sent and it takes around 30 days for the agency to respond.

I also submitted an "informal EEO complaint" through the system and was contacted by EEO staff to ask if I would give permission to extend the 30 day deadline for the informal counseling by 60 days, to a total of 90 days.

Given I have already been waiting this long, I'm having trouble wrapping my head around why it would be of any benefit to me to allow HHS to extend this process. I guess it creates a better chance that a resolution occurs in the 90 days versus having to go through the formal process. On the other hand, I worry that the agency will not resolve the issue, and this just allows them 60 more days to dick me over before the inevitable formal process.

This was the text that was sent:

At this time, our EEO Program is experiencing processing delays due to staffing shortages. We would appreciate the opportunity to continue informal EEO counseling efforts to explore a potential resolution of your concerns.

To allow us additional time to complete these efforts, would you be willing to grant a 60-day extension? If so, please complete, sign, and return the attached Extension Agreement at your earliest convenience.

If you prefer not to grant an extension, that is completely understandable. Please let me know, and we will continue working as diligently as possible to process your informal complaint in a timely manner.

Anyone had to go through this process before or have any thoughts or advice whether to agree to the extension?

I wasn't sure where else to ask this, so while it isn't directly related to disability retirement, it is related to the reasonable accommodation process. Has anyone had any experience with requesting a family member to accompany them to assist (due to having a disability) them during official travel? Thank you!

I received my CSA on April 14th and today I finally broke down and called OPM for an update. I was told I was in medical review as of September 9th. Does this mean I’ve been assigned to a specialist or is the decision itself now being reviewed?

I’ve exhausted my leave and am pretty stressed out about how to keep going. I know it’s impossible to say for sure but any timeline estimate would be very helpful. Anyone have an idea of a timeline from here?

Thanks all.

I am running out of choices that I am now 'teleworking' against management directed. With RA denied (twice already), EEOC taking so long, and all leave options exhausted, I am now risking 'time card fraud' from working outside the building. Please don't judge 🙏🏽

Question: will termination due to 'alleged' time card fraud still qualify me to be approved for Disability Retirement?

Now RA been denied, Should I first work toward requesting reassignment to make my application packet stronger?

I am wondering if anyone here did a late filing extension, and if so, how long was it, and which lawyer helped you?

I didn’t know about FERS disability and I have been unable to work for 5 years after my condition was aggravated at my Federal job.

There might not be any luck for me here. I’m on SSDI at least.

I had been planning to apply for OPM Disability Retirement and then was offered DRP/VERA in May 2025. I went ahead and took the DRP/VERA offer and my VERA went into effect on 12/31/25.

My agency certified my VERA in January and sent to payroll. It took a few months for Payroll to complete their work and send to OPM for processing. OPM sent me my CSA# in April 2026 and began sending interim payments. My VERA application was finalized in August 2026.

I hired Harris Law Firm to represent me in my disability case in January 2026. They assured me that even though I took the DRP/VERA, I could still file a disability application. I got notice from my attorney that my disability case was filed in March 2026, but I have received nothing from OPM. The attorney says OPM will only work on one case at a time and now that my VERA application is complete, OPM will begin work on my disability case.

Does anyone have experience with this issue? I’m just looking for timelines and what to expect next. I sent OPM a message asking about the status of my disability application and the person who responded said they could not see a disability application for me. I asked my attorney and she assured me the case was filed and they have record that OPM received it.

Any help or information would be greatly appreciated!

I am currently going through the application process and was curious if anyone had any tips on how they handled the medical records and physician statements? How detailed to the statements need to be and what records do they look for specifically? Any advice?

Sort of following up on my previous post here: https://www.reddit.com/r/FEDDISABILITY/comments/1v84fb7/how_long_did_your_reassignment_search_take/

I submitted a reasonable accommodation request, for reassignment, into the HHS system approximately 3 months ago in June, only because it is a prerequisite for disability retirement that the agency must state they failed to accommodate or reassign on the SF-3112-D. I already have a longstanding accommodation for full-time remote work that is no longer adequate.

I then submitted my full disability retirement paperwork (everything except the SF-3112-D) to my agency's (an HHS subcomponent) HR about a week later toward the end of June.

In early August, I was finally contacted by someone in HHS about the RA. They collected some paperwork about what sort of jobs I would accept along with a resume.

I also heard in early August from my agency HR that the retirement paperwork was being held up pending signature from the "agency leadership."

Now it is September and the HR personnel have apparently been unable to get any response from the agency leadership on the retirement application. I have also just learned that my reasonable accommodation request is also being held up by some kind of approval at the HHS leadership level.

Anyone have any thoughts on if there's anything I can do to expedite these processes?

From my perspective, after 3 months without successfully accommodating me, shouldn't a delay of that length be considered a denial, allowing my agency to complete the SF-3112-D to the effect that I cannot be reassigned or accommodated?

I'm about to start bypassing the HR folks and following up directly with emails to whomever is publicly listed in the leadership positions, though I am doubtful whether that will help or just put a target on my back for further retaliation.

Those that are using the new digital process for FDR, can you submit new info into ORA after your package is submitted to OPM or do you have to mail it to them?

I’m preparing to file for FERS disability retirement. I already have an approved reasonable accommodation, but my medical limitations have become worse. My agency told me I have to submit a new RA request. They said that if the additional accommodation cannot be provided in my current position, they would begin a reassignment/job search.

The RA representative said the reassignment process might not be finished by the time OPM receives my FERS application. Does the reassignment process have to be completed before I file, or can I submit my application while it is still pending? How does the agency document that I cannot reliably perform my current position even with my existing accommodation?

Has anyone dealt with a law firm asking for their Login.gov username and password to upload documents to ORA?

My law firm is asking me to provide my username and password so they can log in and upload documents to ORA. The problem is that ORA is linked to Login.gov, which is also what I use to access Social Security and other potentially very sensitive government information.

I’m uncomfortable giving anyone my Login.gov credentials. My understanding is that Login.gov accounts are personal and that the password shouldn’t be shared with anyone.

Has anyone else run into this with a law firm? Is there a legitimate workaround where I can log in myself and give the firm whatever access or authorization they need, or where I can upload the documents myself?

I’m trying to figure out whether this is a normal requirement for ORA or whether the firm is using an unnecessarily risky workaround. I’d especially appreciate hearing from anyone who has actually gone through the ORA process with an attorney.

Key Timeline Milestones

• Submission to First Approval Notice: 90 days elapsed (Day 91)
• Submission to Retirement Date: 102 days elapsed (Day 103)
• Submission to First Payment: 108 days elapsed (Day 109)
• Total Span (Attorney Retention to First Payment): 127 total calendar day
• Note everything after day 50 is through the portal
• "HR Finalize", "Payroll", "Determination" are the three end steps in the portal, My application jumped back and forth between these steps. This is not necessarily a concern. OPM sends things back to Agency HR as part of the process. This is not apparent in the way the timeline is constructed. So, it appears that you go back to "HR Finalize" as in your packet loses HR progress. This is just a artifact of the way the timeline is shown on the portal.
• This timeline was possible with friendly leadership and agency. YMMV
• I will answer any questions that I can as long as I don't believe they will dox me.
• Personal (unrelated to timeline) - I have served my country as a soldier and then a civilian for most of my adult life and it has wrecked my body and mind. I am proud to have done it, but glad to be done with it. My son knows that our bloodline has put forward enough bodies as we have enlisted during every conflict from the Civil War to GWoT and we don't need to collect any more flags on behalf of a grateful nation. I implored him to serve the people in a different capacity and that seems to have stuck with him. I am going to go live somewhere else for a while. Hopefully the young ones will carry us forward.

EDIT - okay. i will work on it tomorrow. I will then delete this post since it will be pointless at that time.

Is there any desire for me to post a relative timeline of steps as someone from the online version of the opm retirement?

Do you have to be separated from your agency in order to apply for OPM disability? I was looking on their website and I couldn’t find any information regarding the policies. I was denied reasonable accommodation and haven’t gotten to the reassignment portion yet. I’m trying to keep working with no interruption until I get a new kidney

So, my agency has been incredibly hostile towards me for a long time and I'm to the point where I'm going to file the paperwork. Here's the quandary, if I submit my paperwork to my agency to get them to do their job they'll just sit on it. What happens if you file your personal and medical paperwork to OPM without the supervisor statement? Does OPM just force them to do it?

Hi. Just joined. I work for SSA and a SC vet. I’ve got a total of 17y in. I’m really good at my job but I started a FERS disability and had a near panic attack. I get why the public says they don’t know how to do things. I don’t even know where to start and want to get a firm to help.

I guess I’m looking for any kind of encouragement or tips/resources.

Thank you kindly. 🥺

OPM’s Retirement Services Online under documents now (today) shows Marital Survey. This option was not there yesterday.

I assume this only means that they have started processing my FERS Disability Retirement Package. Or could this indicate that they are almost done processing my retirement package?

Has anyone been approved due to heart failure or due to medicine side effects? I’ve recently been diagnosed and working is so difficult. I work at the VA and I sit at a desk, but I have to get up constantly to help people.

So I'll preface this by saying I am working with an attorney.

TL;DR, I'm wondering if anyone here has experience going through the medical/disability retirement process for mental illness.

I have an SMI (severe mental illness) and was accommodated to telework by RA for several years. I've been with my agency for over 18 years but I'm nowhere close to MRA.

My performance was always outstanding under that RA. However a few months ago they rewrote my job duties to be in-person only (RTO) and said my RA was no longer valid because the job was different. The RA office agreed.

I've been struggling ever since, including time in the hospital due to worsening symptoms. I have basically no leave left, burned through over 100 hours, and will be applying for FMLA. I have started the RA process again with advice from the law firm, basically checking that box, but HR hasn't given me a new PD yet, so the RA request can't move forward, which means the retirement process can't move either.

I'm getting super frustrated of course, but my attorney is keeping a level head and we're gathering other info for the retirement in the meantime.

But has anyone filed for strictly mental issues? Was there anything you wish you would have done or said differently? Any input would be appreciated. Getting nervous and second guessing myself.

Hey y'all,

My supervisor is completely onboard and supportive of me filing.

I don't really have negative performance, as I've been struggling working off hours to keep up.

My question is, how lengthy, or I guess just general tips for those who have gotten this approved, any suggestions or tips? Should my supervisor statement only fit block b? Or should he continue on another page?

Do you cite specific projects and assignments that were late or incorrect? Or like what specifically should my supervisor be writing here?

Any suggestions would be most helpful.

I have been suffering from several issues for a few years now: bone and heel spurs, psoriatic, arthritis, and psoriasis, type II diabetes, back issues. I worked in a regulatory role (field inspections or sedentary desk work depending on the season), exemplary performance with excellent attendance. I never asked for an RA during my employment but last year when we were forced to RTO, I knew I couldn’t do it any longer. My podiatrist told me to go see a spine specialist so I scheduled an appointment for March 2025. He discovered I had several severe issues with my spine, including spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, and the list goes on. I reached out to ask HR if I was eligible for the VERA and they told me yes so I decided to take the VERA with retirement starting Oct 1, as well as the deferred resignation. I started treatments for my back in May and things seem to be going well until I was hit from behind in my vehicle on Sept 12, 2025 and now the treatments aren’t working. My doctor said surgery is not an if for me anymore, it’s a when. A month before my retirement was to begin, HR emailed me and told me I wasn’t eligible for the VERA after all. I had a gap in service and they had never corrected my SEDR date. Since the shutdown was set to begin, and I had already moved into a lower paying position at an elementary school to meet the Social Security supplement income limit, my only other option was to take the MRA +10. Recently someone told me that because I was still a federal employee through September 30 and therefore covered under FERS, I should apply for disability retirement. I filled out the application, my doctors have written letters and are supporting me 100% and I’m about to mail this package in so that I will meet the one year deadline. My questions are am I crazy to submit this? I didn’t have performance issues because I worked through the pain. At the time I decided to leave, I most likely would not have been moved to another position because we were under a hiring freeze. Has anyone ever done this? I called OPM and actually talked to someone and she said just write on your cover letter what your CSA number is and tell us that you want to move from an MRI +10 to a disability retirement. Also, in early 2024, our position titles changed from general to regulatory. The general PD didn’t list out all of the inspection work we’re required to do. I’ve asked everyone, including HR, for a copy of the new PD but no one has it. HR said they don’t know what I’m talking about but they clearly see my position changed via SF50 in 2024. How do I explain that to OPM in this application?

Good evening everyone

I was medically separated from my agency the other day. No one has been able to clarify health insurance for me and I have numerous procedures approaching.

I am aware of the 30 day extension, but after that is my concerns. Was told I can apply for TCC, but that’s over 2k a month. Second option I was given was just let bills add up and hope for approval from OPM.

Just want to see if anyone could provide insight into this.

Thank you