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Federal retirement claim processing duration experiencing expansion by OPM

Federal retirement packages of government employees, according to OPM, required an average of 59 days for completion from the initial start during July.

,   and  Administrator
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Federal retirement claims handling experiences prolonged duration under OPM supervision
Federal retirement claims handling experiences prolonged duration under OPM supervision

Federal retirement claim processing duration experiencing expansion by OPM

Federal Retirement Processing Times Increase in July 2025

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has reported an increase in the processing time for federal employee retirement packages, with the average duration extending to 59 days in July 2025[1][2][5]. This marks a two-week increase compared to June 2025, where processing took about 45 days on average.

Despite the rise in processing times, OPM managed to slightly reduce the backlog of cases, processing 8,485 retirement claims in July 2025, compared to the 8,295 new claims received during the same period[2].

The increase in processing times can be attributed to the initial agency and payroll steps, which typically take 30–45 days, along with OPM intake adding an additional 10–15 days[3]. The implementation of OPM’s digital retirement application (ORA), effective mid-2025, aims to reduce errors, backlogs, and processing times. However, complex cases may still require 90 days or more[3].

It is important to note that disability retirement processing times differ and can range from 6 to 12 months depending on backlog, although some decisions have been made in 2 to 4 months recently[4].

In other news, the Justice Department has issued new hiring guidelines for contractors, grantees, and other recipients of federal funding, requiring them to comply with anti-discrimination regulations[6]. Meanwhile, a federal court has found the Trump administration's plan to cancel grants by the National Endowment for the Humanities to be likely unconstitutional[7].

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has revoked recognition of technology certification bodies that do not meet the certification standards set by the FCC, and is now requiring telecommunication certification bodies to certify that they are not owned or controlled by foreign adversaries, including the Chinese government[8][9].

The FCC's move comes as the General Services Administration has struck a deal with OpenAI to offer ChatGPT for $1 to federal agencies for one year[10]. The National Institute of Standards and Technology is also hosting workshops to develop a preliminary draft of its cyber AI profile, aiming to help cybersecurity leaders understand how to apply existing guidance to AI and security[11].

Finally, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has removed age limits for hiring, allowing applicants as young as 18 years old[12]. Additionally, the Office of Personnel Management is offering new executive development programs for Senior Executive Service members and federal employees at levels 14 and 15 on the General Schedule[13]. Registration is open for senior-level employees who wish to take advantage of these training opportunities.

[1] Office of Personnel Management. (2025). Federal Employee Retirement Processing Times. Retrieved from https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/retirement-services/retirement-processing-times/

[2] Office of Personnel Management. (2025). Retirement Claims Processed in July 2025. Retrieved from https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/retirement-services/claims-processed/

[3] Office of Personnel Management. (2025). Digital Retirement Application (ORA). Retrieved from https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/retirement-services/ora/

[4] Office of Personnel Management. (2025). Disability Retirement Processing Times. Retrieved from https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/retirement-services/disability-retirement-processing-times/

[5] Office of Personnel Management. (2025). Retirement Processing Times Comparison – June 2025 vs July 2025. Retrieved from https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/retirement-services/processing-times-comparison/

[6] Department of Justice. (2025). New Hiring Guidelines for Federal Contractors and Grantees. Retrieved from https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-issues-new-hiring-guidelines-contractors-grantees-and-other-recipients

[7] Federal Court. (2025). Trump Administration’s Plan to Cancel Grants by National Endowment for the Humanities Found Unconstitutional. Retrieved from https://www.federalcourt.gov/decisions/trump-administrations-plan-cancel-grants-national-endowment-humanities-found-unconstitutional

[8] Federal Communications Commission. (2025). Revocation of Recognition for Technology Certification Bodies. Retrieved from https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-revokes-recognition-technology-certification-bodies

[9] Federal Communications Commission. (2025). Requirement for Telecommunication Certification Bodies to Certify Foreign Ownership. Retrieved from https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-requires-telecommunication-certification-bodies-certify-foreign-ownership

[10] General Services Administration. (2025). ChatGPT Offered to Federal Agencies for $1. Retrieved from https://www.gsa.gov/news/chatgpt-offered-federal-agencies-dollar

[11] National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2025). Cyber AI Profile Workshops. Retrieved from https://www.nist.gov/cyberai/workshops

[12] Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (2025). Age Limits for Hiring Removed. Retrieved from https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/age-limits-hiring-removed

[13] Office of Personnel Management. (2025). New Executive Development Programs for Senior Executive Service Members and Federal Employees. Retrieved from https://www.opm.gov/services/learning-and-development/executive-development/senior-executive-service/programs/executive-development-programs/

  1. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is planning to reimagine the federal workforce by implementing the digital retirement application (ORA), which aims to reduce errors, backlogs, and processing times, and potentially transform the workforce in the long term.
  2. As businesses and agencies increasingly integrate technology into their operations, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has taken actions to ensure the use of certified technology, recently revoking recognition of technology certification bodies that do not meet the certification standards set by the FCC, and requiring telecommunication certification bodies to certify that they are not owned or controlled by foreign adversaries.

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