Eligibility.

First thing you need to know is that you must be eligible to apply. A Federal employee gains basic eligibility by meeting certain time in service requirements. For FERS employees, you must have completed at least 18 months of continuous creditable service in a position subject to FERS. For CSRS employees, you must have completed five years of continuous creditable service.LiteBlue

Disability
Once he or she has proved basic eligibility, the Federal Employee or USPS employee must show that he or she has a disabling medical condition. OPM will consider a medical condition – or a disease – disabling for your disability retirement application if you: 1) have a medical condition or disease; 2) that medical condition or disease results in a deficiency in performance, conduct or attendance. Another way to show that your medical condition is disabling – particularly if there is not any performance, conduct or attendance deficiency – is to prove that your medical condition or disease is incompatible with either useful and efficient service or retention in your current position.

USPS LiteBlue – This is the most difficult element t to prove. You should consider submitting evidence of the following in order to prove the disability element:

1) Objective clinical findings from your treating physicians and specialists, including written proof of diagnoses and medical opinions;
2) Your own evidence of pain and disability. This is called subjective evidence, and it can include a sworn affidavit from you describing how the pain of the disability also affects you. It can include statements from co-workers, family, friends – anyone in a capacity to observe your physical pain from medical conditions. The more obvious the physical pain and the more obvious the medical condition, the more likely that lay opinions of pain and disability are likely to be given weight. This type “subjective evidence” will only be given evidentiary weight by the MSPB and OPM when it is supported by competent and objective medical evidence.
3) Any other evidence that shows that your medical condition or disease impacts your ability to perform in your current civil service job, at the level expected of your grade or class.LiteBlue
Moreover,

Continuity
LiteBlue – Once the Federal employee or USPS worker has shown OPM that he or she has basic eligibility, and shown OPM that he or she has a disabling medical condition, the Federal employee/Postal worker will have to show OPM that the condition is continuous. In other words, if your disabling medical condition is expected to continue for at least 1 year from the date the disability retirement application is filed, then you will be able to meet the continuity element. This prevents employees with temporary conditions from receiving disability retirement benefits. This is the easiest element to prove, but sometimes seems to be the most easily overlooked in the application.

Accommodation/Reassignment After showing basic eligibility, disability, and continuity, the Federal Employee or USPS employee applying for federal disability retirement must show OPM that his or her employing Agency cannot accommodate the disability (under the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act and/or Rehab Act, etc). Typically this is done by submitting your completed application to your employing Agency’s HR office, who will work with the supervisor to prepare your “Supervisor Statement”.

LiteBlue.USPS.Gov – This is a form that the Agency will add to your disability retirement application and submit to OPM. One word of caution – if the Agency has made a reasonable offer of reassignment to a vacant position which you turned down, then you will not be able to receive disability retirement. If you get a job offer from your Agency or from the Office of Workers’ Compensation (OWCP), you should consider contacting an attorney who represents federal employees before making your decision. The wrong decision could have significant financial ramifications.LiteBlue

Application for Social Security Disability. The last major element for a thorough application for disability retirement to OPM is that the Federal Employee or Postal Employee must also apply for Social Security Disability when seeking OPM Disability Retirement. You don’t actually have to receive Social Security Disability, but if you do, then there could be a couple results. First, your OPM annuity will be reduced so that you don’t “double-dip” the federal government for the same disability. Second, if your Social Security Disability is approved before your OPM disability, you could use that as evidence supporting your OPM disability retirement application. Third, if your Social Security Disability is approved after your Federal Disability Retirement is approved, then you could end up owing OPM money, and you might be required to follow Federal Regulations known as the “set-aside” provisions. “LiteBlue.USPS.Gov”

LiteBlue – If your own initial request for Federal disability retirement is denied, you will have one opportunity to request that OPM reconsider the decision – you will have to file this request for reconsideration within thirty (30) days of the denial of federal disability retirement or you will not get any more appeals later. If your reconsideration request is denied, you will in all likelihood have an appeal right to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB).LiteBlue

Positions with the Post Office

There are a variety of positions available at local post offices. USPS work involves processing, sorting, and delivering mail and packages along with providing customer service and supplies. Most USPS personnel are mail carriers, clerks, or mail sorters and processors. US Postal Service clerks wait on clients, whereas mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators sort inbound and outbound mail. Mail carriers distribute mail to hundreds of millions of locations throughout the world.USPS LiteBlue

US Postal Service Job Announcements

Postal Service job announcements are posted on the internet. To look for an open position, it’s best to check out the USPS website. The USPS website lists vacant jobs by state and job group (e.g., delivery, customer support etc.). The USPS website also enables you to submit an application for the position online.

United States Postal Service Compensation and Benefits

The compensation and benefit packages for postal service workers is among the main factors why US Post Office jobs are so sought after. As outlined by the APWU (American Postal Workers Union), a typical postal worker’s wage (Level 5/Step O) is $52,747. This salary has grown from an average of only $8,442 in 1969. The benefits for postal workers are much like those enjoyed by Federal Government employees. Employees of the US Postal Service can be members of assorted unions, such as: The American Postal Workers Union, the National Association of Letter Carriers, the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, and the National Rural Letter Carriers Association.USPS LiteBlue

USPS LiteBlue – United States Postal Service staff get medical health insurance, retirement plans, life insurance, and flexible spending accounts. Additionally, postal staff have a useful time off plan. Full-time personnel earn 13 days of vacation per year, growing to 20 days after 3 years of employment, and to 26 days per year after fifteen years of service. Additionally, postal workers get 10 holidays off each year. Finally, full- time workers are allowed to use up to 13 days of sick leave per year due to illness or accident.

United States Postal Service Eligibility Requirements

The United States Post Office has rigorous job eligibility requirements. The essential job requirements include a minimum age, basic competency in English, and US citizenship (or lawful permanent resident alien). There are added requirements regarding employment history, criminal history and safe driving record (for several positions). In addition, drug screening and health checks are requisite for many positions.USPS LiteBlue

USPS Exams

LiteBlue  - Nearly all US Postal Service jobs will require candidates to take a postal service examination. To be considered for a United States Post Office job you must receive a passing score on the test. Every United States Postal examination will evaluate your skills and abilities specific to the job you are applying for. The questions tend not to require any specialized knowledge to answer, but they do grade how well you will be able to do your work. As an example,, some of the United States Postal Service examinations will rate how well you do at spotting differences in locations or remembering postal route information.USPS LiteBlue

Finding a Position with the United States Post Office

The process for getting a job with the USPS is:

• Locate Post Office Position Announcements on the internet
• Verify that you meet the job requirements
• Apply for the job online or at a nearby United States Post Office
• Plan for and pass the applicable postal examination

LiteBlue - Please visit Post-Office-Jobs.com to find and apply for United States Postal jobs.

Scott Mansfield

Post-Office-Jobs.com – Post-Office-Jobs.com is your essential resource to help you find, apply for, and obtain jobs with the USPS. Job descriptions, application forms, and free postal exam study guides are provided.LiteBlue

FEGLI Term Life Insurance
Administered through the Office of Personnel Management, FEGLI is currently the largest group life insurance program in the world. It provides Federal government and Postal employees with an optional Term Life insurance program, from which 4 benefit types can be elected:

- BIA (Basic Insurance Amount): This is the most common benefit available, covering 1 times your annual income. The premiums for this benefit option are split between you(2/3) and your employer (1/3), and are on a non-guaranteed level premium schedule.
- Option A (Standard): This is the most basic benefit available on an optional basis. It provides employees with an additional $10,000 death benefit and is paid for entirely by each employee.LiteBlue.USPS.Gov
- Option B (Additional): This option is where Federal and Postal employees can truly expand on the level of life insurance they have through the FEGLI program. This option allows for employees to elect an additional benefit, up to 5 times his/her annual income. Like all optional FEGLI benefits, the cost is 100% paid for by you.
- Option C (Family): As its name implies, this option allows Federal employees to elect additional life insurance for their spouse and children. This coverage is offered in multiples, allowing a maximum benefit of $25,000 for a spouse and $12,500 for each child.

LiteBlue.USPS.Gov – Simply put, the benefits provided through FEGLI can be great. Provided you elect these options during an open enrollment period or a qualified life-changing event, there is no medical underwriting required. This can be a tremendous advantage for those who otherwise would not qualify. Specifically for young professionals, the FEGLI program can be a very inexpensive way of maintaining protection.

For many Federal employees however, this coverage will also present some limitations and concerns. Many Federal employees would not adequately be protected with only 5 times their annual income in life insurance, so some supplemental amount of individual life insurance may be needed. Additionally, due to the increasing premium schedule for options A, B and C, many Federal employees could save considerably by owning an individual Term Life policy instead.LiteBlue.USPS.Gov

FERS Disability Insurance
LiteBlue - Surprisingly, many Federal employees are not even aware of the fact that a long-term disability insurance benefit exists. For all Federal employees under FERS, there is an early retirement option available specifically for disability. Considering that a disability is more likely to occur than premature death and most people rely on their paycheck, this is a critical benefit to review.

The FERS disability program is governed by a set of eligibility guidelines and benefit payment schedules. Similar to many group long-term disability insurance plans, the amount of benefit you receive is based on a percentage of your income. Without getting too far into detail, below is an explanation of the disability benefit computation for Federal employees under age 62 and not eligible for immediate voluntary retirement:

- For the first 12 months: 60% of your high-3 average salary minus 100% of your Social Security benefit for any month in which you are entitled to Social Security benefits.

- Beyond the first 12 months 40% of your high-3 average salary minus 60% of your Social Security benefit for any month in which you are entitled to Social Security disability benefits.

LiteBlue.USPS.Gov – In reality, these benefits are calculated fairly similar to most group disability insurance programs, except that most plans do not reduce to 40% in year 2. Similarly, although FERS disability benefits provides a fair amount of income protection for you, because of the way benefits are taxed and reduced in year 2, it may not be an adequate amount of coverage, depending on your personal circumstances.

For those who cannot survive on 60% or 40% income replacement, there are individual options available to increase your coverage. Through privately owned supplemental disability insurance, Federal employees can increase their coverage to more appropriately protect their income and families.LiteBlue.USPS.Gov

To learn more about your options and review details regarding FERS disability insurance and FEGLI life insurance, visit FERS disability insurance for Federal employees and FEGLI life insurance for federal employees.

LiteBlue.USPS.Gov – Michael Relvas is the owner of MR Insurance Consultants, an insurance and financial services firm based in Rockville, MD. His firm has worked with many Federal employees regarding their life and disability insurance, by reviewing existing coverage through FEGLI and FERS and implementing plans to more adequately protect their loved ones while saving money in many cases. The can be contacted at 800-817-4522.