The annual spike in the number of federal employees retiring at the end of the calendar year has caused a massive increase in the size of the OPM retirement backlog to kick off 2025. The total number of outstanding retirement claims at the agency went from 13,876 at the end of December to 23,277 at the end of January, a 68% increase.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) received 16,101 new retirement claims last month and processed 6,700. On average, it took 64 days to process the claims.
January is always the busiest month for OPM in terms of the number of incoming retirement claims. Here is how January 2025 compares to past years:
| Claims Received | Claims Processed | Inventory | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2025 | 16,101 | 6,700 | 23,277 |
| January 2024 | 12,997 | 6,467 | 20,822 |
| January 2023 | 12,404 | 9,142 | 24,858 |
| January 2022 | 13,266 | 8,689 | 31,307 |
| January 2021 | 13,850 | 6,569 | 26,968 |
| January 2020 | 17,134 | 10,059 | 23,983 |
| Average | 14,292 | 7,938 | 25,203 |
As the data show, January 2025 saw the second-largest number of incoming retirement claims since 2020. Fun fact: the largest numbers in the last 13 years belong to January 2013 and January 2012 in which they were 22,187 and 21,479, respectively.
The total backlog also is better off this year than it was in past years. By comparison, it was much higher at the end of January 2022 than this year. That is a difference of almost 35%.
The OPM retirement backlog generally fared much worse that year. It peaked at 36,349 at the end of March 2022 and finished the year at 21,596, so presumably, it will get better under control as 2025 progresses.
Which Agencies Have the “Healthiest” Retirement Applications?
OPM also published these data on the accuracy of retirement applications. They show which agencies fared the best and worst in terms of the error rates on retirement applications.
These figures show the number of non-disability retirement application packages audited and the associated error rate for an agency that had at least 15 cases reviewed in a specified month in the current fiscal year.
| December | January | |||
| Agency | # of Cases | % of Healthy Cases | # of Cases | % of Healthy Cases |
| ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE US COURTS – AOUSC | 61 | 79 | 34 | 76 |
| DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE – USDA | 133 | 87 | 91 | 78 |
| DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE – DOC | 56 | 73 | 42 | 76 |
| DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE – All DOD | 1,170 | 80 | 834 | 76 |
| DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES – DHHS | 79 | 85 | 56 | 89 |
| DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY – DHS | 207 | 82 | 188 | 78 |
| DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE – DOJ | 189 | 84 | 111 | 84 |
| DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR – DOI | 100 | 81 | 66 | 85 |
| DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY | 196 | 83 | 88 | 74 |
| DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION | 53 | 79 | 38 | 82 |
| DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS – VA | 569 | 86 | 455 | 88 |
| JOINT PAYROLL OFFICE | 56 | 79 | 34 | 88 |
| SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION – SSA | 68 | 90 | 36 | 94 |
| UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE – USPS | 1,420 | 95 | 887 | 89 |
| GOVERNMENT-WIDE | 4,595 | 86 | 3,078 | 83 |
As the data show, SSA had the most accurate applications in January while the Treasury Department was lowest. Overall, the accuracy rate was 83%, down slightly from December.
What is a “Healthy” Retirement Application?
OPM defines a healthy retirement application is one that is a “complete and accurate package that does not have to be developed for missing, inaccurate, or discrepant information.”
The agency further adds that “early and accurate” are two keys to helping get your retirement application processed efficiently. This is a quote from one of OPM’s retirement FAQ’s:
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.
OPM says that it is important to avoid errors on your retirement application to prevent processing delays. The agency has some information on its website to help with this, such as the Retirement Quick Guide which provides a current estimate of the total length of time the retirement application process will take as well as what to expect during the process.
OPM Retirement Processing Status: January 2025
| 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-23 | 6,924 | 6,098 | 16,678 | 73 | 73 |
| Nov-23 | 5,207 | 6,059 | 15,826 | 66 | 69 |
| Dec-23 | 5,662 | 7,196 | 14,292 | 68 | 69 |
| Jan-24 | 12,997 | 6,467 | 20,822 | 66 | 68 |
| Feb-24 | 8,794 | 10,025 | 19,591 | 47 | 62 |
| Mar-24 | 7,943 | 10,711 | 16,823 | 55 | 61 |
| Apr-24 | 6,901 | 7,647 | 16,077 | 61 | 61 |
| May-24 | 6,751 | 8,793 | 14,035 | 60 | 61 |
| Jun-24 | 6,919 | 5,614 | 15,340 | 64 | 61 |
| Jul-24 | 6,451 | 5,994 | 15,797 | 65 | 61 |
| Aug-24 | 7,083 | 7,702 | 15,178 | 64 | 61 |
| Sep-24 | 5,618 | 6,302 | 14,494 | 63 | 62 |
| Oct-24 | 6,872 | 6,458 | 14,908 | 62 | 62 |
| Nov-24 | 6,808 | 7,872 | 13,844 | 55 | 58 |
| Dec-24 | 5,020 | 4,988 | 13,876 | 57 | 58 |
| *Jan-25 | 16,101 | 6,700 | 23,277 | 64 | 60 |
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 43 days to complete; whereas cases that were produced in more than 60 days, on average, took 110 days to complete.
