Federal retirements have surged this year, largely due to policies of the Trump administration and its “Department of Government Efficiency,” tasked with slashing spending.
Federal retirements have surged significantly this year, largely due to policies of President Donald Trump’s administration and its Department of Government Efficiency, which is tasked with slashing government spending.
The Office of Personnel Management is working through a backlog of retirement claims, which are taking much longer to process. OPM said the average processing time was 76 days in September, up from 70 days in August and 59 days in July.
It’s leaving retirees in limbo as they wait for their pension checks to arrive.
WTOP spoke to one federal worker who retired June 30. They did not want to be identified but said there were multiple hints there would be downsizing and restructuring at their former agency.
“My role there wasn’t a good fit in the new structure of the organization,” they said. “I took it as an opportunity to move forward in my life and move closer to family.”
They sold their house and moved to a different state, but nearly four months later, they have not received a single pension check. They’ve contacted OPM numerous times and say it’s been “frustrating” and “difficult.”
“There’s not enough people to process the influx of all the folks that are saying, ‘I’m done with this. I’m putting in my papers,’” they said. “The only answer that I’m getting is, ‘please be patient with us. Please be patient with us.’ Because, honestly, for the longest time, they couldn’t even confirm that they had my paperwork.”
The person was counting on that pension when they decided to retire. Now, their family is living on one income and struggling with the rising costs.
OPM told them to expect an “interim” check in mid-November or early December, but it won’t be the full pension amount. Federal employees who accepted the Deferred Resignation Program got paid until Sept. 30 but now go to the back of the claims line, meaning they likely won’t get their pension checks until February or March.
“I’m in the pipeline. It’s just the pipeline is flooded,” they said. “It’s moving at snail’s pace.”
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.