Ready to file questios

Ok I am ready to file but confused as to wording.

 OPM DR form states,   “You must, while employed in a position subject to the retirement system, have become disabled, because of disease or injury, for useful and efficient service in your current position.”

 My current position is a modify clerk. The position I became disabled in and was hired for was a letter carrier. Once I hit my maxim medical improvement they transferred me. I have never done any real clerk work. Have been in this modified position for 2 years now

Other places I read (and on this site) says you can apply for DR if you cannot do useful and efficient service in the job you where hired for.

 I am confused as to how to answer, do I answer as if I was a letter carrier (position hire for) or current position as mod. clerk?  The DR forms does say current position not hired for. 

Sample questions:

“Describe how your disease(s) or injury interferes with performance of your duties."-- As a mod clerk I can do this mod job

"What accommodations have you requested from your agency?"-- I never asked per say, just told them my restrictictions. The gave me job to fit them

"Give the approximate date you became disabled for your position." --  Again my letter carrier position, date of injury or date they put me over to clerk side.

Thanks, 

If you can do this mod job, and an accommadation is working,, you are very lucky. If you can get by on 25% of what you are used to making come join us in retirement. 

     Remember that Standard Forms deliberately try and make you think that your choices for answering a question are limited.  They are not.  You can always add your own input in an addendum page.

Sincerely, Robert R. McGill, Esquire

Just out of curiosity, why would you want to retire on disability if you're still able to work? Unless you're rich, disability retirement is no picnic.

Thanks for the question, I get this a lot. Do you work for the Postal Service, every have?

They are not kind to IOJ people, it is going to get a lot worse. While I can still work I can not do the job I was hired for nor most clerk jobs. I am still able to do a lot out side the PO that would not aggravate&nbs... injury, hopefull with dignity. I can make up to 80% and old enough that my house is paid for so my expenses are little. I may have less money that is FOR SURE but I want peace in my life for the next 10-20 years.

Be sides the money issues is there any other reason why DR is no picnic?

Before I put down answers that could be twisted against me I might want to review the process with somebody very familiar with the quirks of OPM.

I'd be particularily concerned if I was physically able to do clerks job and you have been on such job for 2 years that such may trump your inability to do prior mail carrier  job at all. EG you are not disabled in context of your current slot. There is a distinct tendency not to award disability if one is qualified to do some other position---but that may vary a whole lot depending on strength of your national unions past practices.

Me, I'd want to know a lot more before I completed any such form--w or w/o an "attachment."

Onlineemail indicated that the position he has "filled" for the past 2-years is a "modified" clerk position; and, he stated that he has "never done any real never done any real clerk work".  Sounds like they created a job for him that doesn't exist.  I'm not certain how that would affect a DR application as it appears that he has not worked a legitimate craft in 2 years.  Maybe someone can clarify?

Onlineemail indicated that the position he has "filled" for the past 2-years is a "modified" clerk position; and, he stated that he has "never done any real clerk work".  Sounds like they created a job for him that doesn't exist.  I'm not certain how that would affect a DR application as it appears that he has not worked a legitimate craft in 2 years.  Maybe someone can clarify?

Yup, I retired from the Postal Service after 13 years as a clerk. I'm familiar with their less-than-friendly attitude toward anyone who has the nerve to get injured on the job. They take it like a personal offense or something. I was extremely lucky to have a supervisor who bent over backwards to get the paperwork done quickly and who pretty much left me alone until I got a decision from OPM.

If you're able to work up to your 80% earnings limit outside the Postal Service, go for it. I guess I'd take the disability retirement in that case, too. I just didn't know how much you could or couldn't do with your medical condition.

Disability retirement is no picnic mostly for the "disability" part, aside from the lack of income, of course. But everybody's different. I'm happy if I can get up and walk around without too much trouble.

Thanks all for the replys,

Good advice. I will be reading a lot this week.. I have never returned to full duty in any craft. Especialy into any vacant or posted bid job so never able to do usefull and effective service sooo.. I am looking at it with the gise that the PO wants peole to leave so this is an easy way to rid themslves of me, at least. Any one wish to post the process with OPM? thanks

It's my understanding that a made up job is not the same as being legally accommodated. Being accommodated means that with a few modifications, you can still do your actual job. I too have been doing a made up job for years now. I am filing for FDR as I can no longer do my job even with accommodations in a productive manner. There shouldn't be any problems with filing for DR because of working a made up job.

Why is it a person would only be getting 25% of their former income?   Is there anyone out there who would be willing to tell what their monthly income is?    And does that include income also from Social Security disability? &nbsp... If a person gets approved for both, is the monthly amount really that small?    If anyone out there also gets Social Security disability, what amount do they get from that?    I am considering applying for disability and am trying to figure out about what it would amount to....    It doesn't seem like it would be that bad if you got approved for both...

In reality it is 40% of your Base pay, but if you worked any Nights, or Sundays, or Overtime, or Holidays, these premium amounts don't count towards your "High 3" computation, for most Federal Employees. Many people here get Social Security too.

I'm glad you added "for most" as those of us under "LEAP", that overtime *is* computed towards our high three. Nights, Sundays, Holidays, yeah - not counted unfortunately.  I added to this thread so other "6c" types remember LEAP IS part of the high-3.