Posted: 9/21/2007 - FEDERAL EMPLOYEE DISABILITY RETIREMENT IS NOT CHARITY

Summary:

Federal Employee Disability Retirement Is Not Charity For Which You Have To Beg. It Is A Benefit, Like Insurance, To Which You And Every Member of Congress, Has A Right.

Harvey Friedman, Attorney at Law, Washington, DC

Federal employee disability retirement is one of the most liberal benefits program imaginable. That is probably because our senators and congressmen enacted the law and they and their staffs can collect under it.

Federal employee disability retirement is analogous to regular retirement. If you make retirement contributions into CSRS or FERS and have 5 years tenure in CSRS and 18 months tenure in FERS, then if you qualify, you are entitled to a monthly annuity paid from the fund and in most instances, medical benefits, even though you are not yet at regular retirement age.

If you were separated from the Federal government and cashed out the fund (cashing out the TSP does not count) you probably, but not always lose your right to collect your monthly disability retirement annuity.

The way I figure it, if the annuity is dependent on your contributions to the retirement fund then OPM disability retirement is not charity or some handout but something you paid for, much like insurance and you have a RIGHT to a disability retirement annuity if you meet the regulatory criteria.

Therefore, PLEASE, do not feel guilty in taking something which is yours and be quick about it, before someone else grabs it for tanks, duct tape or dinner at Le Bristol. (112 Rue du Faubourg-St-Honore, Paris, France Tel. +33 (0) 1 53 43 43 40)-- reservations definitely recommended. http://www.hotel-bristol.com/default.htm 



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