How to Request Your OPM Disability Retirement Claim File

Why You Need Your OPM Claim File

When OPM denies your FERS disability retirement application, the denial letter gives you the conclusion — but not the full reasoning behind it. The denial might say "insufficient clinical documentation" or "failure to demonstrate a causal nexus," but you don't know what the medical officer actually reviewed, what they noted, or what your agency submitted (or didn't submit) on the SF-3112 series.

Your OPM claim file can show what OPM received and considered. It may include:

• Every document your agency submitted with your application
• The SF-3112 series (A through E) as actually received by OPM
• Your position description as it appeared in the file
• Any medical officer evaluation notes released with the file
• Any correspondence between OPM and your agency
• Medical records and physician statements in the file

Reviewing this file before drafting your reconsideration is essential. You may discover that your agency's SF-3112B (Supervisor's Statement) was vague or even contradicted your claim. You may find that medical records you submitted were missing from the file. You may learn that the medical officer fixated on a specific gap you can easily close.

How to Request the File

Submit a written request to OPM's Retirement Services Office. Your request should include:

• Your full legal name and Social Security number (or CSA/retirement claim number if assigned)
• A statement that you are requesting a complete copy of your FERS disability retirement claim file
• Your current mailing address
• Your signature

Mail the request via certified mail with return receipt to:

Office of Personnel Management
Retirement Operations Center
P.O. Box 45
Boyers, PA 16017-0045

You can also request your own records under the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. § 552a) or submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Under OPM's FOIA fee schedule, there is no charge for the first two hours of search or the first 100 pages of copies, but fees can apply beyond those amounts and depend on requester category. In regular processing, OPM must make an initial FOIA determination within 20 business days; it may extend that period by 10 business days for unusual circumstances. This is not a guarantee that the full file will be produced within that time.

Timing: Don't Wait Until After You File for Reconsideration

The 30-day reconsideration deadline under 5 CFR 841.306 starts running from the date of the denial letter. Your claim file may not arrive before the 30-day window closes.

Here's the approach:

1. Request your claim file immediately upon receiving the denial. Send the request the same day you receive the denial letter.
2. File your reconsideration request within 30 days even if you haven't received the file yet. Reserve the right to submit supplemental evidence after reviewing the file.
3. When the file arrives, review it and submit targeted supplemental evidence — updated physician narratives, missing medical records, corrected agency documentation.

This parallel approach preserves your appeal rights while ensuring you eventually see what OPM actually had in front of them.

What to Look for in the File

Once you receive the file, review it with three questions:

1. Did OPM have everything you submitted? Compare the documents in the file against your personal copies. Medical records, physician letters, and agency forms sometimes get lost in the mail or during agency-to-OPM transfers. If something is missing, submit it with your supplemental reconsideration evidence and note that it was absent from the original file.

2. What did the agency actually write? The SF-3112B (Supervisor's Statement) and SF-3112D (Agency Certification of Reassignment and Accommodation Efforts) are written by your agency, not by you. If the supervisor downplayed your service deficiency or the HR specialist left the accommodation certification incomplete, these agency-authored documents may have contributed to the denial. You can address this with supplemental statements or documentation from the agency.

3. What did the medical officer focus on? The medical officer's evaluation notes reveal their reasoning. Did they dismiss your physician's statement as "conclusory"? Did they question the diagnosis? Did they note a specific documentation gap? Each finding points you to the exact evidence you need to supply.

At the MSPB Level: The Rule 4(b) File

If your case reaches the MSPB, OPM is required to submit the complete administrative record — called the Rule 4(b) file — to the Administrative Judge. This file should include everything from both the initial review and reconsideration stages.

Review the Rule 4(b) file carefully when you receive it. If it's missing documents that were in the claim file you received earlier, or if it contains documents you've never seen, raise this with the AJ. You can also use MSPB discovery (under 5 CFR 1201.71–1201.75) to request documents not included in the Rule 4(b) file, including internal OPM memoranda and correspondence.

Building Your Reconsideration Around What the File Shows

The claim file transforms your reconsideration from guesswork into precision. Instead of broadly arguing "I am disabled and deserve benefits," you can address the exact evidence OPM reviewed and the specific reasoning the medical officer applied.

If the medical officer dismissed your physician's clinical assessment as "subjective" and the Bruner presumption applies, cite Garland v. OPM (Fed. Cir. April 2026) — the Federal Circuit held that OPM cannot rebut the presumption merely by citing a lack of objective clinical tests and must consider competent medical evidence. If the agency's SF-3112D was incomplete, submit supplemental accommodation documentation. If medical records were missing, resubmit them with a cover letter noting their absence from the original file.

The FERS Disability Denial Appeal Guide includes a denial-reason mapping worksheet designed to be used alongside your claim file — matching each OPM objection to the specific evidence remedy and filing it as part of a structured reconsideration package.

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