The OPM retirement backlog just keeps growing. It has managed to climb even higher as of the end of March 2022.
The latest data from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) show that the retirement backlog has set another new high not seen since March 2013 when it was 36,603.
The current OPM retirement backlog now stands at 36,349. It has increased 16% in 2022 alone and has increased 48% since its low point in 2021 when it was 24,619 at the end of May. Recently retired federal employees who are waiting for their claims to be processed probably did not think they would long for the days when the OPM retirement backlog was “only” just over 24,000 claims.
Last month saw a higher than usual number of new retirement claims come into OPM’s retirement services office. OPM received 10,042 new claims and processed 9,117 which is why the backlog increased. It went up almost 3% over the end of February.
How many more claims arrived this March than in recent years? The table below shows a breakdown. I’ve also listed the number of claims that OPM processed those months and where the total backlog stood at that time for comparison.
| Claims Received | Claims Processed | Inventory | |
| March 2022 | 10,042 | 9,117 | 36,349 |
| March 2021 | 9,664 | 8,756 | 27,368 |
| March 2020 | 6,566 | 8,931 | 21,264 |
| March 2019 | 10,048 | 13,217 | 20,201 |
| March 2018 | 7,767 | 13,262 | 18,730 |
| March 2017 | 7,216 | 10,602 | 20,530 |
As can be seen, the number of federal employees who retired in March 2022 is one of the two highest years in the last 5 years, falling just barely short of the number who retired in March 2019. However, in 2019, OPM processed 45% more retirement claims than it did this year which helped keep the backlog more in check.
Although it has fluctuated in the last five years, OPM’s retirement backlog has grown 77% since March 2017.
OPM Retirement Processing Status – March 2022
| Month | Claims Received | Claims Processed | Inventory (Steady state goal is 13,000) | Monthly Average Processing Time in Days | FYTD Average Processing Time in Days |
| Oct-20 | 8,323 | 6,992 | 19,605 | 77 | 77 |
| Nov-20 | 5,876 | 5,459 | 20,022 | 74 | 76 |
| Dec-20 | 5,135 | 5,470 | 19,687 | 74 | 75 |
| Jan-21 | 13,850 | 6,569 | 26,968 | 85 | 78 |
| Feb-21 | 7,495 | 8,003 | 26,460 | 77 | 78 |
| Mar-21 | 9,664 | 8,756 | 27,368 | 69 | 76 |
| Apr-21 | 9,414 | 11,396 | 25,386 | 71 | 75 |
| May-21 | 7,684 | 8,451 | 24,619 | 70 | 74 |
| Jun-21 | 7,264 | 6,884 | 24,999 | 78 | 75 |
| Jul-21 | 8,922 | 6,920 | 27,001 | 91 | 76 |
| Aug-21 | 8,976 | 7,412 | 28,565 | 93 | 78 |
| Sep-21 | 7,589 | 7,344 | 28,810 | 94 | 79 |
| Oct-21 | 8,006 | 10,711 | 26,105 | 95 | 95 |
| Nov-21 | 8,266 | 8,010 | 26,361 | 79 | 88 |
| Dec-21 | 7,569 | 7,200 | 26,730 | 92 | 89 |
| Jan-22 | 13,266 | 8,689 | 31,307 | 94 | 90 |
| Feb-22 | 12,241 | 8,124 | 35,424 | 89 | 90 |
| *Mar-22 | 10,042 | 9,117 | 36,349 | 82 | 89 |
Disability determinations are included in the pending number after approval. Average Processing Time in Days represents the number of days starting when OPM receives the retirement application through final adjudication.
*Initial retirement cases produced in less than 60 days, on average took 44 days to complete; whereas cases that were produced in more than 60 days, on average, took 128 days to complete.
How Long Does it Take OPM to Process a Federal Employee’s Retirement Claim?
OPM says on its website that it aims to process federal employees’ retirement applications within 60 days. With a backlog this big though, it stands to reason that some new federal retirees will be waiting longer, and indeed, comments from FedSmith readers indicate this is what has happened to them.
This is an answer to one of the frequently asked questions from OPM’s website:
Retirement Services strives to complete retirement claims within sixty days. If we need additional information from you or your former employing agency, however, your claim could take longer to process. It may take more time than average if, for example, your retirement claim has special circumstances (e.g. applying a specific retirement law, evaluating a court order, etc.) It may also take more time if we need to contact you to make a benefit election (e.g. a service credit deposit), or your former employing agency for additional information, or another agency such as the Social Security Administration, if a benefit from them impacts your claim.
What Can Federal Employees Do to Speed Up the Retirement Application Process?
So it may be slow, but is there anything federal employees who are retiring soon can do to make the retirement application process go faster?
According to OPM, submitting your retirement application package earlier and making sure everything is completed is the best way to avoid delays. This is another FAQ from OPM’s website:
You can help reduce delays in processing by submitting your application in advance and by making sure your Official Personnel Folder (OPF) is complete. If you submit your paperwork early, your personnel and payroll offices will be able to complete their action before your retirement date.
Common OPM Retirement Application Errors and How to Avoid Them
Any errors on your OPM retirement application package will just slow the process down even further, so it is important to avoid any mistakes.
OPM has listed some of the most common errors that it finds on federal employees’ retirement application forms for both the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). Among them are inaccurate service dates, missing signatures, or lack of proof for the FEHB five year requirement heading into retirement.
These articles provide more information on common mistakes that show up on OPM retirement application forms and how federal employees planning to retire soon can avoid making them:
