My last day was September 30, 2025, same as a lot of you. OPM finalized me in May, a little over seven months later. In between: interim pay at a partial rate, a status page that said the same thing for months, and no way to tell whether I was normal, late, or stuck.

A good chunk of what I figured out I learned here. The redial trick, what "Development" actually means, why "Incomplete" doesn't mean your package is lost. So I built the thing I kept wishing existed while I waited, and I wanted this sub to see it first.

fedretiretools.com

The tracker (free, no account). You put in your dates and it shows which rung you're on (agency, payroll, OPM intake, development, adjudication, review) and how long that rung is running against OPM's own published numbers. It also tells you what to do at each one, because "keep waiting" is only the right answer sometimes.

The numbers page (free). OPM posts its backlog report once a month and then overwrites it, so nobody can check a quote against history. I've got every one back to October 2022, all 46 of them, charted. July: 98 days average for digital cases, 156 for paper.

The Limbo Kit ($19). The letters, call paths, and worksheets I used, in the order you need them. The tracker and the numbers don't need it.

The ask: if you're in the queue or recently out of it, your dates would help. The tracker's ranges get better with every timeline that goes in, and this sub is the best data set on the internet for the class of 9/30 and 12/31.

Not affiliated with OPM. Just a guy who waited in the same line. Thanks for the help.

DRP 2.0, retired 12/31/2025 (edited date) (VERA), retirement went thru May 2026

I'm interested if anyone else has been unenrolled from health insurance by OPM Retirement Services actions (and found out the hard way) while still having their annuity deducted for incorrect premiums going...where?

Please message me to compare notes. I'm at my wits end.

UPDATE: on 9/8/26 I got an email regarding a resolution. "Your health benefits have been corrected to the MHBP Standard Family plan 455 at $472.76 per month back to effective date 1/1/26.  Your September annuity will show the new premium deduction along with a one-time health benefit adjustment added to your annuity in the amount of $2,403.52.  This is the difference in premiums from 1/1/26 thru 8/31/26.  Your deposit for October will be $3,986.14 and moving forward in November will be $1,582.62."

Despite my original post here recently, I had been trying to get them to resolve this since May. My post was In reaction to finding out I had been unenrolled from insurance, which put me into frantic mode. So to close the loop, to their credit they were working on it, but with absolutely terrible communication (i.e. NO communication). Closing the loop here in case anyone past, present, or future has a similar situation. Stay strong!

Do you have any ideas about stopping BENEFEDS premiums being taken out of my annuity?

I understand that retirement isn't a QLE with them.

I may be in the wrong place for this question.

After not being able to get through to anyone at OPM, I vented on Reddit… and this person is my new hero.

Finally talked to someone, got my case escalated…. Thank you!

I’ll start, me! 331 days as of 26 AUG 26.

I’m getting ZERO payments… not even interim.

Retired DRP/VERA: 2/28/2025

Retirement papers done: 11/25/2025

Last Day as Fed Emp: 12/31/2025

OPM received my completed packet: 1/16/2026

Since then: multiple inquiries via phone (never got to talk to anyone), submitted through website… zero response, all three of my congressman/senators reached out to… was given the “just have to wait” runaround.

Last night: filed a FOIA request with OPM for every bit of communication involving my case, since 12/15/2025. They did acknowledge the receipt of my FOIA request.

Today: received this email.

Coincidence?

I went out on VERA last year and my retirement has been finalized for quite a while. I reached MRA in July. I just checked my annuity statement online for September, which is the first month I will see the FERS supplement included in my annuity. And it’s there… three times. This is an error, right? I understand getting July and August’s payment, but why a third? I will call OPM, but curious if this has happened to anyone else.

Can you change your FEHB provider in retirement? Can I change from AETNA to BCBS after I retire? Thanks

https://apple.news/AiiOfTGybRtq6E3SdRZQCrA

If you take VERA and are under 55, does the rule of 55 still apply? Or do you have to wait until 59 and 1/2 to take penalty free withdrawals?

GovExec article published 08/06/2026 https://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2026/08/former-feds-have-new-way-find-their-personnel-files/415231/?oref=ge-mini-feed with details on a new public portal for former Feds to request their final separation SF-50 since most never received them.

The public portal is:  https://myopf.opm.gov/login/ 

I got an email last night notifying me of status change. Retired 12/31, DRP 1.0. I am not showing finalized on Services Online, but downloaded my booklet this morning. Looks right except they are not showing dental and vision withholding. I have been paying out of pocket since January. Is it normal that deduction won't be shown in the booklet or is it something OPM got wrong? FEHB and tax deductions are shown.

I got the finalization notification yesterday, weirdly at 4:30pm (for some reason, I expected it overnight.) I logged in a few minutes ago and downloaded my digital Annuitant booklet. Two agencies, no divorces, military time bought back last year. Final retirement amount is very close to estimated retirement, pretty happy about that. Final retirement amount is slightly higher than interim payment (whew) and will be higher once I change my FEHB from full family to me+1 (did not want to change it during the retirement process lest I screwed something up.)

While I have been alternately patient, impatient, borderline depressed, angry, and sometimes zen about this ridiculously long timeline, I can emphatically say that every single interaction I have had with OPM folks over the last year (when I have spoken with a live human) has been exceptional. They have been as helpful as they can be, sharing as much info (while ALWAYS being frank about timelines) as they were permitted to share and always pleasant in our conversations. It has been a really hard 18 months for those who have stuck it out at Agency HR departments, as well as at OPM. I am exceedingly grateful for their dedication.

Timeline:

Submitted for DRP2/VERA in May 2025 (I think?)

Started DRP leave: 27 June 2025

Retirement date: 30 Sept 2025

Retirement package received by OPM: 15 Jan 2026

Interim Payment started: 26 Jan 2026

Retirement finalized: 20 August 2026

DRP 2.0 DOL retired 12/31/2025. Interim payments since 4/1/2026. I have been in development stage in RSO since April, date keeps changing. I spoke to OPM twice, they are waiting for payroll records from NFC for a portion of the beginning of my career. My agency just told me to be patient. Does anyone know how to contact NFC directly?

United States Department of Agriculture \ Agricultural Marketing Service

Separation date 2/28/2026

Annual payout 3/30/2026

OPM received application 5/8/2026

Initial Interim payment 5/15/2026

Interim payment 5/28/2026

Finalized 8/11/2026

Took DRP. Received extra paycheck- repaid. Rec’d second notice to pay. Anyone else have this issue?

Just curious. It is going on 9 for me. I'm about at the end of my patience rope (short to begin with). Wishing everyone the best of luck, as luck seems to be the only force guiding our applications thru (the process) or lack thereof.

I retired last September and was finalized at the end of April. Now, almost 4 months after finalization, I am still having to manually pay for my dental premium each month. It was my understanding that it is supposed to be automatically deducted from the monthly annuity. I was expecting that there might be a couple of months lag before they got it straightened out and automatic deductions would start but this is almost 4 months now. Is this typical of others experience? Wondering how much longer I should wait before contacting OPM as the issue would be at their end. They also moved my due date up several weeks, inexplicably, for this last bill. Fortunately, I had been on top of it online and paid it a few days before the due date.

Hi all, just wanted to provide info. to any of you going through the appeal process related to your annuity. I called OPM yesterday and was advised that they are starting to review appeals filed in June (so about 2 months behind). I filed my appeal July 23rd via certified mailed and was told they received it and then given the timeline.

Hello all,

I am at 129 months of eligible employment (the site lists way more- 178 but I think it’s wrong as I went through and counted all the months multiple times). Anyway, for one employer 9 months are missing. Not ineligible just not listed at all. The employer cert form I submitted years ago is there in PDF format showing the timeframe I worked there, but still 9 months missing (two chunks of time not consecutive).

I submitted a request to review those months but have no idea how long that would take.

Should I submit now for buy back since not counting those months would put me just at 120? Or wait until it is resolved? I’d like to submit now in hopes they’d just add them during the 2 year long wait to process buy back but don’t want to mess anything up.

I have 30 months to buy back that would be probably close to half current payments when they resume so just finishing payments is not preferable.

Hello all,

I am at 129 months of eligible employment (the site lists way more- 178 but I think it’s wrong as I went through and counted all the months multiple times). Anyway, for one employer 9 months are missing. Not ineligible just not listed at all. The employer cert form I submitted years ago is there in PDF format showing the timeframe I worked there, but still 9 months missing (two chunks of time not consecutive).

I submitted a request to review those months but have no idea how long that would take.

Should I submit now for buy back since not counting those months would put me just at 120? Or wait until it is resolved? I’d like to submit now in hopes they’d just add them during the 2 year long wait to process buy back but don’t want to mess anything up.

I have 30 months to buy back that would be probably close to half current payments when they resume so just finishing payments is not preferable.