What is disability retirement?

A disability retirement is offered to employees who are no longer able to work on account of an illness or an injury. It is typically offered only after the employer exhausts all other options to retain the employee in a productive capacity.

To apply for a disability retirement, an employee is required to submit the complete medical documentation pertinent to the disability. To qualify, the disability must be expected to last for at least a year. For that purpose, an employing agency needs access to current medical information to ascertain the disability before the retiree receives benefits. The retiree is responsible for covering the expenses of necessary medical exams.