The federal retirement backlog moved in the right direction again in April, offering some relief after the surge of applications that hit earlier this year. Even so, thousands of claims remain in the pipeline and processing times still vary dramatically depending on how employees file.
According to the latest numbers from OPM Retirement Services, pending retirement claims stood at 49,888 at the end of April. That is a noticeable improvement from February, when the inventory climbed above 65,000 following the wave of federal departures that began in early 2025.
OPM received another 11,940 retirement applications during April, meaning the agency is still managing a heavy flow of incoming work while trying to reduce existing inventory.
One trend continues to stand out: digital applications are moving through the system far more quickly than paper submissions.
Current processing times show digital claims averaging about 50 days, while paper applications are taking roughly 100 days to complete.
The difference largely comes down to how the applications are reviewed. Digital submissions pass through automated checks that help identify missing information, incomplete forms, and other common issues before the claim reaches a reviewer. Paper packages do not benefit from those early safeguards, which means problems may sit unnoticed until someone manually reviews the file.
Even with modernization efforts underway, paper claims remain a meaningful part of the workload. Of the nearly 12,000 retirement claims submitted in April, 8,743 arrived digitally while 3,197 were still filed on paper.
Looking at the broader fiscal year picture, digital claims have remained relatively consistent, averaging about 42 days year to date. Across all claim types, however, average processing time rises to 71 days.
The system is still feeling the effects of February’s spike, when OPM received more than 31,000 retirement claims in a single month. While inventory levels have improved since then, the agency continues working through the elevated volume.
For employees preparing to retire, the message from the data is fairly straightforward: submit electronically whenever possible.
A difference of roughly 50 days can matter when you are waiting for interim payments to transition into a finalized annuity and managing the gap between your last paycheck and retirement income.
Just as important is making sure the application is complete before it is submitted. Missing documents, incomplete forms, and overlooked details remain some of the most common causes of delays regardless of filing method.
A Federal Retirement Consultant (FRC®) can help you review your retirement paperwork and prepare for a smoother transition from federal service into retirement.
