The map nobody hands
federal employees. Until now.
Six places where the systems meet — and where sequencing, elections, and offsets quietly decide outcomes.
OPM × Social SecurityThe Rule
The SSDI application is mandatory with every FERS disability filing; the benefits offset heavily in year one, partially thereafter. The Trap
Treating the SSDI filing as paperwork. Handled deliberately, the two are designed to stack; handled carelessly, money is left on the table. |
OPM × OWCPThe Rule
Pursue both, win both — draw one. The election between wage-loss and annuity is reversible as circumstances change. The Trap
Letting an active OWCP claim lull you past OPM's one-year window — or electing without a lifetime-value run. |
OPM × AccommodationThe Rule
Inability to accommodate is an element of the OPM case; the accommodation record is often its strongest exhibit. The Trap
Skipping the interactive process, or resigning before the paper trail exists. The record is the case. Eric's FedWeek column: When accommodation fails → |
OPM × VAThe Rule
VA compensation generally continues alongside a FERS annuity, and VA evidence can carry real weight in the OPM narrative. The Trap
Assuming a high VA rating proves the OPM standard. Different questions — the bridge must be built. |
OWCP × Social SecurityThe Rule
Both may be pursued; combined benefits face offset rules that cap total income replacement. The Trap
Choosing what to pursue first without the offset math. Order of operations changes the total. |
Accommodation × EEO / MSPBThe Rule
A denied accommodation can proceed as discrimination; a medical-inability removal can be appealed to the MSPB — often in parallel with the retirement filing. The Trap
The 45-day EEO clock doesn't pause while you wait on other agencies. Parallel tracks, parallel deadlines. |
General rules with meaningful exceptions — before any irreversible step, the numbers should be run on your actual facts.
