Federal retirement processing has slowed substantially this year due to DRP. As OPM continues modernizing retirement systems, another application surge looms.
Thousands of federal workers who filed retirement applications this year — especially those who took part in the Deferred Resignation Program (DRP) — are experiencing significant delays and limited communication from HR offices and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Backlogs have surged to levels not seen in decades, leaving retirees in limbo with slow benefit processing and little clarity on timelines. Agencies are also struggling with staffing shortages and system modernization efforts that haven’t kept pace with soaring application volumes.
Reporting by Fed News Network: ‘In the dark:’ Retiring federal employees face major delays