Federal Workers Should Start Retirement Prep Now Amid OPM Backlog

The Office of Personnel Management continues to grapple with a sizable backlog of retirement claims, making early planning essential for federal employees targeting a year-end 2026 retirement. July 2026 saw 14,370 digital and 3,471 paper applications processed, yet 24,784 claims remained pending, well above the agency's 13,000-claim target and down from a February peak of 65,237. Digital filings now move faster, averaging roughly 98 days from receipt, while paper submissions still take about 156 days.

The surge is partly linked to the 2025 Deferred Resignation Program, which released many workers into retirement pipelines. Officials recommend confirming service records, updating beneficiary and survivor benefits, ensuring health-plan eligibility, and submitting applications at least 60 days before the intended retirement date to mitigate processing delays.