What employees can participate in FEDMER?
	The employee must be under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and live in one of the following: Delaware, Washington DC, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, or West Virginia.
	How do I determine residency for employees who live in one State and work in another?
	Use their home or mailing address to determine if they are in a participating State.
	The employee I'm working with does not want to particiapte in the project. What should I do?
	FEDMER is a voluntary program. Employees who don't want to participate don't have to. Be sure to review the benefits of the program with them, but ultimately it's their choice. If the employee choses not to particiapte, please have them check the declination box and sign the Statement of Participation.
	The Statement of Participation (SOP) asks for the "Alleged Onset Date OR Date Applicant Submitted to Agency" -- what exactly does this mean?
	If it's clear when the disability began, use that date. Otherwise, use the date that you send the employee's application to OPM.
	My agency has consolidated our Human Resource function outside of the FEDMER geographic area. We only counsel our employees by phone and mail. Can we still participate?
	Yes, we encourage regionalized Human Resource centers to participate as long as the employees being serviced live in the FEDMER geographic pilot area.
	I have an employee who wants to use FEDMER, but I don't have a certification stamp to certify the authenticity of his documents -- what should I do?
	You may write the following statement on the photocopies in lieu of using the stamp: "This is a photocopy of an original document that appears to be genuine and unaltered and to have been made at the time purported. This photocopy consists of ___ pages. CERTIFIED BY:" and include the following: YOUR NAME, DATE, AGENCY, TITLE, FEDMER APPLICANT, APPLICANT SSN.
	How do I obtain certification stamps?
	Certification stamps are no longer needed, but may still be used if you have one. For employees who provide you with their original birth certificate and/or proof of military service, you may write the certification statement on the documents (see above "Answer" for wording). If an employee does not provide an original birth certificate and/or proof of military service, do not hold the case - SSA will simply request them from the applicant later in the process.
	How do I get the required SSA and OPM forms?
	OPM will send the initial supply -- after that, forms are available from this FEDMER web site or may be requested from SSA's web site .
	How do I find out if my agency is participating in the pilot?
	Any entire agency or a component of any agency can participate in the pilot. Initially participation was restricted, but now anyone can participate. We can tell you what parts of your agency are participating.
	Does my agency need to receive classroom training in order to use FEDMER?
	No, classroom training is not necessary. To process a FEDMER claim you should only need the help of this web site. The Step by Step section in particular should provide you with the information you need to process a FEDMER claim. If you need additional assistance, email your question, name, and phone number to FEDMER@opm.gov . We'll be happy to assist you and adjust this web site to meet your needs.
	Why can't CSRS Offset disabled employees participate?
	This is a pilot. After we have tested the new process and it proves effective, we will open it to more employees.