SSA and OPM DR

I thought you could only receive either SSA DR or OPM DR not both, but after reading other posts I've noticed discussions of individuals getting both.  Does this mean in  addition to receiving the 40% of your former pay from OPM you can get additional compensation from SSA DR?  If so how does the breakdown work?   

Yes, you can receive both, FERS Disability Retirement and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).  Social Security has a much stricter definition for "disability".

If your approved for SSDI, there is an offset for FERS  Disability Retirement.  Look at it as two jobs; but, your boss at one is not happy about the second job and reduces your pay!  You still receive two pay checks.

Also, with annuity payment, you get paid once a month rather than bi-weekly.

During the first year FERS  Disability Retirement's annuity is 60% of your high-3; but, 100% of any SSDI that you receive is deducted from your OPM/FERS  Disability Retirement annity.  The second year you received 40% of your high-3; but, 60% of any SSDI that you receive is deducted from your FERS  Disability Retirement annity.

What I did not know is any COLA that you receive from Social Security IS NOT  recaucu... for the 60% offset.

In regard to the FERS  Disability Retirement COLA, if the COLA in any given year is greater that 2%, it is 1% less than the CSRS COLA.  This year the Social Securty and CSRS COLA was 5.8%. The FERS COLA was 4.8%.

Hope this answers your question.

Thanks that answers my question, of course I should have known anything with the federal government is not straight forward.

     Just remember, though, that there is a much lower cap under SSA of what you can earn at another job, as opposed to FERS & CSRS disability retirement annuity.  This is a factor which often precludes, or is a disincentive, for people in determining whether to pursue SSA disability benefits.

Sincerely, Robert R. McGill