OPM Retirement Backlog Falls to 8,814; Wait Times Drop to 66 Days

Update, July 8, 2026: paper is over. On July 1 OPM marked its "Last Day of Paper," ending paper-based retirement processing after 65+ years for more than 95% of applications. Three changes matter for anyone retiring now: (1) a pre-retirement application lets you and your HR office complete most paperwork before your separation date; (2) OPM now starts processing while payroll closeout is still running, attacking the slowest pre-OPM step; and (3) OPM pledged a first pension payment within 7 days of retirement for complete applications submitted by the separation date. ORA processed 155,000+ applications in its first year.

The full dataset: every month of this story, October 2025 through June 2026, is assembled with historical context and clearance projections in our Q3 flagship report, State of Federal Retirement Processing 2026.

OFFICIAL SEPTEMBER 2026 NUMBERS (OPM monthly processing table, document dated September 28): The backlog fell to 8,814, down 42.9% from August's 15,427 and down 86.5% from February's 65,237 peak, closing fiscal year 2026. OPM received 8,080 new claims (6,746 digital, 1,334 paper) and processed 13,227. The average processing time fell to 66 days from 79 in August, the second straight monthly drop: digital cases averaged 56 days, the remaining paper cases 149 days. For the full fiscal year OPM received 179,958 claims and processed 178,551, FedTools sums of the twelve monthly rows. September ties November 2025 and sits above March's 60 days, so it is the second-best month of the fiscal year, not the best. On OPM's arithmetic: August's 15,427 plus 8,080 received minus 13,227 processed would leave 10,280, not the 8,814 OPM reports, a 1,466-case difference. We publish each number as OPM published it.

OFFICIAL AUGUST 2026 NUMBERS (updated September 8): The backlog fell to 15,427, down 37.8% from July's 24,784 and down 76.4% from February's 65,237 peak. OPM received 7,618 new claims (down 27.7% from July's 10,538) and processed 15,281. The average processing time fell to 79 days from 109 in July, the first monthly decline since March: digital cases averaged 70 days, the remaining paper cases 150 days. One note on OPM's own arithmetic: July's 24,784 plus 7,618 received minus 15,281 processed would leave 17,121, not the 15,427 OPM reports. We publish each number as OPM published it.

OFFICIAL JULY 2026 NUMBERS: backlog 24,784, 10,538 received, 17,841 processed, average 109 days (digital 98).

OFFICIAL JUNE 2026 NUMBERS (released July 9): The backlog fell again to 33,851, down 12.2% from May and down 48.1% from February's record 65,237, the lowest level of the year. OPM processed 12,751 cases against 8,663 new claims. But the average processing time rose to 108 days (from 87 in May): digital (ORA) cases averaged 96 days, the remaining paper cases 120 days. The pattern holds: the pile shrinks while each individual wait grows, because OPM is working the complex 2025 VERA/DRP cases last.

OFFICIAL MAY 2026 NUMBERS (released June 8): The backlog fell to 38,547, a record 22.7% single-month drop and the lowest level since October 2025. OPM processed 19,433 cases in May, nearly double the previous May record of 10,954 set in 2013, against just 11,286 new claims. At this pace the remaining pile is about two months of work. (Our earlier 43,000-44,000 estimate for May, made before the official release, was too conservative.)

The catch: the overall average is now 87 days, with digital (ORA) claims at 66 days and paper at 105 days. Per-case time keeps rising even as the backlog drops, a pattern OPM's published data do not explain (the June note that follows was written at the time).

The bigger flip: digital filing took over. Only 30.4% of new claims were digital in October 2025; by September 2026, 83.5% were digital, the highest share in the series.

You submitted your retirement paperwork. Now you wait. How long will OPM actually take?

The backlog kept falling all summer and into the fiscal-year close: 49,888 in April, 38,547 in May, 33,851 in June, 24,784 in July, 15,427 in August, and 8,814 in September 2026, down 86.5% from February's record. For four months the catch was that the monthly average wait got longer; the published data do not say why. August broke that pattern and September extended it.

Digital applications averaged 56 days in September, down from 70 in August; paper averaged 149 days; the overall average fell to 66 days from 79. As a planning figure, the wait from your last day of work to your first full annuity check can still reach 5.5 to 8.5 months once the agency HR and payroll stages are counted (about 5.5 months for digital filers, 8.5 for paper). That is a FedTools estimate built from OPM's January stage measurements plus the September averages; OPM now overlaps those stages, so many cases will run shorter. OPM's throughput this fiscal year is running far above its recent pace, but the agency HR and payroll stage before OPM still adds weeks to months before OPM starts its clock (OPM measured about 60 plus 51 days on January 2026 cases, and has since started processing while payroll closeout is still running).

Here's what the data shows, what you'll get paid while you wait, and how to avoid the delays that trip people up.

The math in February is worse than January: OPM received 31,240 new claims but only processed 18,149. Net backlog growth: roughly 13,091 cases in a single month, nearly four times January's net growth of 3,350. For FY2026 through February, OPM had received 107,074 retirement applications but processed only 60,606, a 57% throughput rate.

Why the backlog is growing

The scale of the workforce reduction is the root cause. Federal employment fell from 2,313,216 positions in 2024 to 2,035,344 in 2026, a loss of 278,872 positions. Of those who left, 52% (136,823 employees) took the Deferred Resignation Program (DRP) buyout in January 2025. That wave of departures produced a retirement filing surge that OPM's processing capacity cannot absorb.

DOGE-related restructuring and agency cuts also pushed thousands of federal employees into early retirement through VERA/VSIP offers or voluntary separations during 2025. At the same time, a large cohort of Baby Boomers hit MRA+30 or age 62+5 eligibility.

OPM Retirement Services lost more than 100 staff due to the DRP, retirements, and canceled hiring actions, at the exact moment incoming volume surged. The unit now answers roughly 6,000 calls per day. Processing gains are coming from digital efficiency, not added headcount. The OPM Inspector General flagged this staffing gap as a top management challenge for FY2026.

Congressional pressure is building but producing no results. Reps. Walkinshaw and Garcia (Ranking Member), along with three other House members, formally demanded OPM answers by a January 29, 2026 deadline. OPM cited "outdated systems" as the primary cause of delays. House Democrats have separately pressed OPM on why retirees are not receiving physical 1099-R tax documents, a related processing failure that affects retirees trying to file their taxes. As of March 27, 2026, no House hearing has been scheduled.

April 22 update: House Democrats found OPM hid most of the staffing losses

On April 22, 2026, Federal News Network reported that House Democrats deepened their investigation into the retirement backlog after discovering OPM had withheld key information. OPM's prior responses to Congress disclosed roughly 35 departures from Retirement Services. The actual number, surfaced through document requests, was over 100. NARFE called the omission "an attempt to obscure the full impact of staffing shortages on retirees."

Why this matters for your case:

• The disclosed-vs-actual gap means the per-claim processing capacity is even thinner than the public numbers suggested. The 6,000-calls-per-day figure was the post-departure capacity.
• House Democrats are now requesting internal OPM communications about the retirement processing crisis. If subpoenas follow, the political timeline for a hearing or a Congressional fix shifts from "no hearing scheduled" to "investigative pressure rising." That might accelerate fixes. It will not accelerate your specific claim.
• The 100+ figure aligns with what the OPM Inspector General flagged as a top management challenge. The IG language was "approximately 100 positions vacated by Retirement Services since January 2025", close to the number House Democrats now confirm OPM downplayed.

What to do this week:

1. If your application was filed before March 1, 2026 and you have not had a status update in 60+ days, send a written status request through the OPM Retirement Services portal. The investigation pressure may produce faster responses on already-flagged cases.
2. Contact your Congressional representative's caseworker. House Dems' active investigation makes individual case escalations more visible to OPM. NARFE recommends including your CSA number, filing date, and any interim-pay status.
3. If you are receiving interim payments, verify the amount against your expected first full annuity using the FERS Retirement Calculator. Interim pay is typically 60-80% of your final annuity; large gaps are worth questioning.

The agency's solution is digital modernization. The ORA system is faster (56 days vs. 149 for paper as of September 2026), but it is also opaque. Recent reporting from FedSmith suggests applicants struggle to track their case status, leading to uncertainty and repeated calls to customer service. OPM continues to bet on technology rather than staffing to close the throughput gap.

Expect no near-term relief. Congressional action is unlikely to accelerate OPM processing before your retirement date. Plan for the backlog to persist through 2026.

The scale of the federal exodus

This backlog is not an isolated processing problem. It is a symptom of historic workforce change:

• 317,000 federal employees left government in 2025, the largest year-over-year exodus in recent federal employment history
• 136,823 took the Deferred Resignation Program (DRP) buyout in January 2025 alone, accounting for 52% of all departures
• VERA/VSIP waves accelerated early retirements across agencies during 2025 workforce reductions
• Baby Boomer cohorts hit MRA+30 and age 62+5 eligibility simultaneously, compounding the surge

(That prediction, written in the spring, was overtaken: the backlog reached 8,814 by September 2026. The paragraph is kept for the record.)

Why processing times kept rising even as the backlog fell

Update, September 30, 2026: the paradox this section describes ran for four months and then stopped. Average processing time climbed from 78 days in April to 87 in May, 108 in June, and 109 in July, then fell to 79 days in August and 66 days in September as the backlog dropped to 8,814. OPM's monthly table does not explain either improvement, and we are not going to invent a reason. Note that 66 is not the fiscal year's low: March read 60. The prediction below, that the divergence would persist into late 2026 or early 2027, did not hold past July. The staffing and case-mix mechanics it describes were the spring's working hypothesis; OPM has not confirmed or rejected them.

The backlog fell from a 65,237 peak in February 2026 to 33,851 in June, a 48% drop in four months. But average processing time rose from 87 days in May to 108 days in June. Those two numbers seemed contradictory. They weren't.

A July 20, 2026 GAO report (GAO-26-108916) puts numbers on what is driving the divergence.

The staffing equation broke first. OPM's Retirement Services office lost 16% of its staff between FY2024 and FY2026. Across OPM as a whole, 1,052 employees departed between December 31, 2024 and March 31, 2026, a 35% headcount reduction. Of those who left, 57% had 11 or more years of federal service, and 18% had 31 or more years. The pipeline that would eventually replace them is thinner still: 41 percent of OPM's staff under age 30 separated over the same period. In retirement processing, the senior specialists are the institutional memory: they know the legacy CSRS system, they handle the rare edge cases, and they train newer staff. GAO also found OPM has not implemented its 2023 recommendation to build a skills-gap action plan, so there is no systematic recovery effort underway. The report notes OPM provided no documents and agreed to no meetings with GAO's investigators.

One reading, not confirmed by OPM: the case mix hardened. The processing queue is not random. Simpler cases, single-agency careers with no military deposits and standard survivor elections, would clear first. What remains in the June backlog is disproportionately the complex tail: employees who moved between agencies, partial military service, survivor disputes, and VERA/DRP-era retirements with incomplete records. Each of those files takes more skilled-staff hours, which pushes the average up even while total volume falls.

The ORA data tracks the same pattern. Digital applications through the Online Retirement Application averaged 34 days in February 2026. By June, 96 days. OPM has not published why; the harder-case-mix reading above is a hypothesis.

As of the September data, the paradox has eased: 66 days overall, two monthly drops in a row. Use 5.5 to 8.5 months from separation to your first full annuity payment as the planning figure, whatever the backlog headline says. That is a FedTools estimate that adds OPM's January measurements of the agency HR and payroll stages to the September OPM averages; those stages now overlap, so many cases run shorter, and OPM's own averages cover only its part.

Source: OPM CSRS/FERS New Claims Monthly Processing table (document dated September 28, 2026). Digital now processes about thirteen weeks faster than paper, and the shrinking paper share averaged 149 days in September; OPM has not published why paper runs longer. Digital forms catch missing fields before submission, OPM staff can access files without handling physical mail, and digital submissions enter the queue immediately instead of waiting on the postal service.

Digital filing took over

Paper used to be the default. Not anymore. In October 2025, only 30.4% of new claims were filed digitally. By September 2026, that share hit 83.5%, the highest OPM has published, after sitting at about 79 to 80 percent through the summer. Digital is no longer "approaching parity," it is the majority by a wide margin, which is the main reason OPM's throughput this fiscal year is running far above its recent pace.

Source: OPM CSRS/FERS New Claims Monthly Processing table (document dated September 28, 2026) for digital days and the August and September shares. The monthly PDF does not publish a paper-only column for earlier months, so those cells are left blank rather than back-solved; the earlier share figures are computed from OPM's monthly digital and paper claim counts.

Notice the counterintuitive part: as more people moved to digital, the digital average got slower (34 days in February, 66 in May, 96 in June), and OPM has not published a reason. Whatever the cause, the August drop to 70 days was the first reversal, and September's 56 is the second.

Should you switch to digital?

ORA is no longer optional: as of July 1, 2026, OPM ended paper-based processing for more than 95% of retirement applications, so the Online Retirement Application (ORA) is the default path. The mechanics: your agency HR office initiates your case and invites you into ORA at retire.opm.gov, you sign in with Login.gov, the system pre-fills your service data, and you upload supporting documents. New in July 2026: you can complete most of this before your separation date through the pre-retirement application, which is the single best thing you can do to shorten your wait.

If you're stuck with a legacy paper case, budget extra time. The 149-day September average means some cases take about 5 months at OPM alone, and that doesn't include the agency HR and payroll work that happens before OPM starts.

Known issues with the ORA digital system

While ORA is faster, recent reports from retirees suggest the digital system has transparency gaps:

• Limited status visibility. Tracking information is minimal compared to traditional paper case management. You won't get detailed updates on where your claim sits in the queue.
• No proactive communication. Applicants don't receive status updates during processing. The system is largely "submit and wait."
• Support line bottlenecks. OPM Retirement Services answers roughly 6,000 calls per day but could not handle the volume of inquiries at the February peak of 65,000+ pending cases, and the pile is now 8,814.

If you file digitally, expect faster processing but prepare for silence. Call OPM Retirement Services (1-888-767-6738) or check Services Online if you hit day 30 without hearing anything.

What is interim pay (and how much will you get)?

You won't go without income while OPM processes your application. Interim pay bridges the gap.

How interim pay works

OPM's new pledge (July 1, 2026) is a first payment within 7 days of retirement for complete applications submitted by the separation date. OPM's live processing page reports an August 2026 average of six days from receipt of a complete package to the first interim payment, and says individual cases can take more or less time.

Interim pay is typically 60 to 80 percent of your estimated net annuity, per OPM's quick guide. The exact percentage depends on case complexity and whether OPM has enough information to calculate an estimate.

Your interim check might actually be larger than your final annuity payment. Don't spend the difference. When OPM finalizes your annuity, they retroactively deduct all those premiums as a lump-sum adjustment from your first full payment. That first real check can be a shock.

How to prepare for interim pay

1. Know your estimated annuity before you retire. Use the FERS Retirement Calculator to estimate your pension amount.
2. Set aside money for the retroactive adjustment. If your interim pay is $3,500/month but your final annuity after deductions is $2,800/month, you'll owe roughly $700 per month for every month you received interim pay.
3. Budget for missing state tax withholding. If you live in a state with income tax, you may need to make estimated quarterly payments during the interim period.

Before OPM starts: the agency HR and payroll steps

Most guides, including older versions of this one, quote OPM's processing time as if that's the whole wait. It isn't.

These are FedTools planning figures: September OPM averages added to OPM's January measurements of the pre-OPM stages, which OPM's pre-separation application and overlapped payroll processing are designed to shorten. These are illustrative totals built from dated averages, not maximums: about 8.5 months on paper and about 5.5 to 6 months digitally from separation to the first full annuity check. Individual cases run shorter or longer. The OPM clock is only part of the story.

During the 60-day agency HR window, you are no longer receiving salary but your pension has not started yet. If your TSP distributions are tied to separation processing, you may lack access to TSP funds during this same period. Plan your cash reserves accordingly.

From application to first full check: the timeline

Here's what to expect from the day you separate to the day your annuity is fully finalized.

Step 1: Separation from service (Day 0)

Your last day of work. Your agency HR office processes your separation and your payroll office closes out your pay record; OPM measured these at about 60 and 51 days on January 2026 ORA cases. Since July 2026 OPM can begin processing before payroll closeout is finished, and the pre-retirement application lets much of this happen before your separation date.

Step 2: Interim pay begins (about 6 days after OPM receives a complete package)

OPM receives your package and issues interim pay. OPM's August 2026 average was six days from receipt of a complete package to the first interim payment; individual cases can take more or less time, and the clock runs from OPM receipt, not from separation.

Step 3: Processing queue (Days 7 to 56/149 after OPM receipt)

Your case enters the processing queue. OPM verifies your service history, calculates your annuity, and reviews your benefit elections.

Common delays at this stage:

• Missing SF-50s or service records
• Military buyback deposits not completed (see our Military Buyback Guide)
• Incomplete survivor benefit elections
• Discrepancies between your service computation date and OPM records

Step 4: Annuity finalized (56 to 149 days after OPM receipt, on the September 2026 averages)

OPM sends your final annuity authorization letter with your exact monthly payment, all deductions, and any retroactive adjustments.

Step 5: First full annuity payment

Your annuity is paid on the first business day of each month for the prior month. The first full payment includes the retroactive adjustment for FEHB, FEGLI, and other deductions not withheld during interim pay.

Five ways to speed up your processing

You can't control OPM's backlog, but you can control how clean your application is.

1. Use the Online Retirement Application (ORA) if available. Digital is more than twice as fast, 56 days vs. 149 days on the September 2026 averages. Ask your HR office if ORA is available at your agency.

2. Complete your military buyback before you retire. Outstanding military service credit deposits are one of the most common delay causes. The deposit must be paid in full before your retirement date. Start 6 to 9 months early.

3. Verify your service computation date. Check your most recent SF-50 for accuracy. If your SCD is wrong, fixing it after you retire adds weeks to processing.

4. Submit a complete package. Missing documents are the top cause of delays. Your retirement package should include:

• Completed SF-3107 (FERS) or SF-2801 (CSRS)
• Survivor benefit election signed by your spouse
• FEHB, FEGLI, and dental/vision continuation elections
• All SF-50s documenting your service history

5. Coordinate with HR early. Start the retirement conversation at least 6 months before your planned separation date. Some agencies offer pre-retirement counseling that walks you through every form.

Estimate your pension before you apply

Knowing your expected annuity before you file helps with everything: what to expect from interim pay, how to budget for the retroactive adjustment, and whether your retirement date actually maximizes your pension.

Use the FERS Retirement Calculator to estimate your monthly annuity based on your years of service, high-3 salary, and age at retirement.

Your high-3 average salary drives the FERS pension formula. Use the High-3 Calculator to find your highest 36 consecutive months of pay before you commit to a retirement date.

Estimate Your FERS Pension →

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take OPM to process a retirement application in 2026?

In September 2026, digital applications through the Online Retirement Application (ORA) system averaged 56 days and paper applications averaged 149 days, with an overall average of 66 days, down from 79 in August. As a planning figure, allow about 5.5 to 8.5 months from your separation date to your first full annuity payment (a FedTools estimate that adds OPM's January measurements of the agency HR and payroll stages to the September OPM averages; those stages now overlap, so many cases run shorter), since agency HR and payroll steps happen before OPM starts its clock (OPM measured them at about 111 days on January 2026 cases, and has since begun overlapping them).

Will I get paid while waiting for OPM to process my retirement?

Yes. OPM issues interim pay, typically 60 to 80 percent of your estimated net annuity. As of July 1, 2026, OPM pledges the first payment within 7 days of retirement for complete applications submitted by your separation date. Only federal income tax is withheld during interim payments. Keep in mind that agency HR and payroll steps happen before OPM receives your file, so the interim-pay clock starts at OPM receipt, not at separation.

What deductions are taken from interim retirement pay?

Only federal income tax is withheld. FEHB and FEGLI premiums are not withheld during interim pay and are recovered retroactively from your first full annuity payment. Dental and vision (FEDVIP) work differently: BENEFEDS bills you directly during interim pay, and unpaid bills can cancel coverage. State tax is also not deducted.

Is the digital retirement application faster than paper?

Yes, by 93 days. Digital applications through OPM's Online Retirement Application averaged 56 days in September 2026; paper averaged 149 days. Digital cases also have fewer errors and missing-document delays. As of September 2026, 83.5% of new claims are filed digitally, the highest share OPM has published, up from 30.4% in October 2025. But paper is a third of what is left in the queue (2,911 of 8,814 cases), so anyone still holding a paper case is in a slower lane.

What is the current OPM retirement backlog?

The backlog is falling fast. It peaked at 65,237 in February 2026 and has dropped every month since: 55,681 in March, 49,888 in April, 38,547 in May, 33,851 in June, 24,784 in July, 15,427 in August, and 8,814 in September 2026, per OPM's monthly processing table dated September 28. September alone cut it 42.9%, and the average processing time fell for the second straight month, to 66 days overall (56 digital, 149 paper).

How can I check my OPM retirement application status?

Digital applicants can track status through the Online Retirement Application (ORA) system at OPM.gov. All retirees can call OPM Retirement Services at 1-888-767-6738. You can also check status online at Services Online.

Related resources

• FERS Retirement Calculator: Estimate your monthly pension before you retire
• High-3 Salary Calculator: Find your highest 36 months of pay for the pension formula
• Best Dates to Retire 2026: Optimize your retirement date for maximum annual leave payout
• VERA/VSIP Guide 2026: Early retirement and buyout eligibility under workforce reductions
• FERS Retirement Guide: Complete guide to FERS eligibility, formulas, and benefits
• Military Buyback Guide: Add military time to your FERS pension before you retire
• State of the Federal Workforce 2026: How many federal employees are left in 2026, the retirement-wave data behind the backlog
• FedShot AI Headshots: Many retirees take on consulting work or board roles after separation. A current professional headshot for your LinkedIn profile takes 60 seconds.

Sources: OPM Retirement Processing Times, FedSmith: OPM Retirement Backlog Soars 21% In A Month, FedSmith: Retirement Surge Pushes Backlog Over 54K (January data), FedWeek: Retirement Backlog Nearly Doubles in Four Months, FedWeek: How Long Will It Take OPM to Process My Retirement?, OPM Interim Pay FAQ, OPM Online Retirement Application, Walkinshaw House.gov: Congressional Letter to OPM, GovExec: House Dems on Missing 1099-R Tax Documents, FNN: OPM Touts Digitization, Blames Outdated Tech, WUSA9: Internal OPM Email on Processing Delays

• OPM, CSRS/FERS New Claims Monthly Processing Times (PDF, document dated September 28, 2026): The primary monthly table behind every backlog and processing-time figure above