Federal Retirement Backlog Surpasses 50k
As the fallout from the Deferred Resignation Program and the uncertainty surrounding the federal workforce continue to play out, OPM got a bit of reprieve in December with 13,174 federal retirement claims received. This is a decrease from the 23,393 applications in November. Though the deadline for the DRP was September 30, employees who would become retirement eligible by the end of the year were given an extension.
The introduction of the Online Retirement Application (ORA) was intended to streamline the antiquated method of manual processing of federal retirement claims. Of the 13,174 claims received in December, nearly half (6,055) were digital, and 7,119 were paper. The average time to process digital applications ticked up slightly to 40, while the processing time for paper applications dropped from 94 days to 81. Retirement Services (RS) processed 9,428 claims (3,506 digital and 5,922 paper). Currently, the backlog stands at 15,295 digital applications and 35,271 paper versions for a total inventory of 50,566 federal retirement applications awaiting processing.
Claims received in 2025*:
January 2025: 16,101
February 2025: 9,637
March 2025: 7,803
April 2025: 8,332
May 2025: 15,048
June 2025:13,430
July 2025: 8,295
August 2025: 9,416
September 2025: 6,095
October 2025: 20,344
November 2025: 23,393
December 2025: 13,174
Jan – December 2025: 151,068
Mistakes or missing information in federal retirement applications can significantly delay processing, postponing your access to full benefits. The most common mistakes include incomplete personal identification details, incorrect marital status documentation, and discrepancies in federal service records.
Not sure if you’re retirement ready? Overwhelmed by navigating the complex process of federal retirement? Reach out to a Federal Retirement Consultant (FRC®) who understands your unique benefits.
*https://www.opm.gov/retirement-center/retirement-statistics/retirement-processing-status.pdf
