OPM Ends Paper Retirement Processing for 95% of Cases, Promises First Pension Payment in 7 Days
Updated
Updated · FedSmith.com · Jul 1
OPM Ends Paper Retirement Processing for 95% of Cases, Promises First Pension Payment in 7 Days
2 articles · Updated · FedSmith.com · Jul 1
Summary
More than 95% of federal retirement applications now run through OPM’s Online Retirement Application, ending a paper workflow that had lasted over 65 years.
Three new features underpin the shift: a pre-retirement filing option, earlier case processing before final payroll data arrives, and a pledge to send the first pension payment within seven days for complete on-time applications.
ORA processed more than 155,000 applications in the past year, and digital claims averaged 66 days in May versus 105 days for paper claims.
That speedup has coincided with a backlog drop to 38,547 cases in May from a record 65,237 in February, while digital submissions rose to 73% from 30% in October 2025.
OPM says the move, accelerated after Elon Musk highlighted the Boyers paper system, is part of a broader push to digitize 400 million historical records and add more self-service and AI tools.