Does a Psychiatric Illness Makes You Eligible for Federal Disability Retirement?

Posted by David Bryan on April 4th, 2022

Mental illness is prevalent these days. People worldwide suffer from various types of mental health issues. Some kinds of mental problems can make people unable to perform their work in the workplace. This means that you can take any mental condition lightly as it can spoil your personal to professional life.

Further, if you are in a federal job, you might have a question: can you take federal disability retirement, if you have any psychiatric illness? You are not alone. Many people are concerned, when it comes to taking federal retirement. After all, we will help you know whether or not you can use federal disability retirement. If yes, what will be the conditions to qualify for it. Read further to learn more.

Call a federal consultant to get professional help. They will also help you know your federal retirement benefits.

Let OPM know your intent early

No one can guarantee you that you can 100% get federal disability retirement benefits because of your mental health issues. As per federal law, you must qualify for certain conditions to be eligible for federal disability retirement. After all, first of all, you need to inform your OPM about your situation early. You will have specific guidelines through which you can apply for retirement. Don’t hesitate to hire a federal consultant, if you want to receive insightful details on it. A professional will also help you know about FERS\' special retirement supplement.

You may qualify for federal disability retirement in the following mental illnesses:-

• Bipolar disorder- If you are experiencing a mental issue such as bipolar disorder, you may qualify for this retirement. When someone has this illness, they experience explosive anger from time to time, creating hostile situations at the workplace for co-workers. That is why chances are higher that you can be qualified for federal disability retirement benefits.

• Major depressive disorder- If you have been diagnosed with this disease, you will not be able to perform effectively at the workplace. In addition to it, you will also experience some negative outlook in your life, affecting your overall lifestyle.

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder- Have you faced some serious and deadly events in your life? The fatal events can be anything from an accident, murder, or war. In that case, you will be unable to fully present at your workplace because you get flashbacks many times a day.

These are three psychiatric illnesses where you can be eligible for federal disability retirement benefits. To understand more about them, hire a federal consultant. They will also help you know your federal retirement benefits.

How do you qualify for federal disability retirement?

To qualify for this retirement, you need to provide a letter of notice to the concerned authority about why you want to retire. In addition to it, you need to know that you should have completed 18 months of service under FERS or five years under the Civil Retirement Service System. Also, you should be able to clarify your inability to continue working.

A federal retirement consultant will guide you, on how to get ready for federal disability retirement. A professional can also help you, if you want to know about your FERS special retirement supplement.