Federal retirements have surged this year, largely due to policies of the Trump administration and its “Department of Government Efficiency,” tasked with slashing spending.<\/p>\n
Federal retirements have surged significantly this year, largely due to policies of President Donald Trump\u2019s administration and its Department of Government Efficiency, which is tasked with slashing government spending.\n<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s leaving retirees in limbo as they wait for their pension checks to arrive.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy role there wasn\u2019t a good fit in the new structure of the organization,\u201d they said. \u201cI took it as an opportunity to move forward in my life and move closer to family.\u201d<\/p>\n
They sold their house and moved to a different state, but nearly four months later, they have not received a single pension check. They\u2019ve contacted OPM numerous times and say it\u2019s been \u201cfrustrating\u201d and \u201cdifficult.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s not enough people to process the influx of all the folks that are saying, \u2018I\u2019m done with this. I\u2019m putting in my papers,\u2019\u201d they said. \u201cThe only answer that I\u2019m getting is, \u2018please be patient with us. Please be patient with us.\u2019 Because, honestly, for the longest time, they couldn\u2019t even confirm that they had my paperwork.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
OPM told them to expect an \u201cinterim\u201d check in mid-November or early December, but it won\u2019t 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\u2019t get their pension checks until February or March.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m in the pipeline. It\u2019s just the pipeline is flooded,\u201d they said. \u201cIt\u2019s moving at snail\u2019s pace.\u201d<\/p>\n