Skip to page navigation
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

OPM.gov /
Skip to main content

Surge in Retirements

Questions and answers

We know receiving your first check is top of mind, which is why we use Interim Pay to help get funds to retirees as quickly as possible. 

  • Within 30 days: About 75% of retirees are placed into interim pay within 30 days of OPM receiving their completed application. 
  • Within 60 days: The remaining 25% — usually those with more complex cases, such as court-ordered benefits or service credit issues — typically enter interim pay within 60 days. 
  • Interim Pay: Interim pay is generally 80% of your estimated final annuity. Once your application is fully processed, we’ll adjust the payment up or down as needed and issue any backpay owed. 
  • Final adjudication: We aim to finalize most cases within 60 days of receipt, though current high volumes mean many are taking longer. 
Control Panel