USPS Retirement Checklist 2026: Every Step from eOPF Audit to First Annuity Check

Every postal retirement checklist published before 2026 is missing critical steps. The paper "Blue Book" application process is gone — replaced by OPM's mandatory Online Retirement Application. FEHB health plans are gone for postal workers — replaced by PSHB and its Medicare Part B mandate. Any checklist still referencing either of those is steering you into procedures that no longer exist.

This checklist follows the actual 2026 sequence: what to do, when to do it, and which agency handles each step.

12 Months Before Retirement

Download your entire eOPF from LiteBlue. Your electronic Official Personnel File contains every PS Form 50, your service computation date, and your pay history. LiteBlue access is permanently revoked on your separation date — no grace period, no post-retirement access. Save everything to a personal device and print the critical documents.

Run an annuity estimate through eRetire. Full-time employees can generate estimates immediately. Part-time employees and Postal Inspectors must request a manual calculation from the HRSSC, which takes up to fourteen days. Run multiple scenarios with different retirement dates and survivor benefit election levels to see how each variable affects your monthly payment.

Verify your service computation date. Check your SCD against your PS Form 50 history. Common errors include uncredited non-career service (only pre-1989 non-career time can be bought back under FERS), missing military service credit, and incorrect conversion dates. Fixing SCD errors while you still have access to USPS HR systems is dramatically easier than resolving them with OPM after separation.

Calculate any outstanding service credit deposits. If you have pre-1989 non-career time or military service that you haven't bought back, now is the deadline to start the deposit process. Pre-1989 civilian deposits use SF 3108. Military deposits are paid through USPS payroll with your DD-214 (typically 3% of military basic pay plus interest under FERS). Interest accrues on unpaid deposits, so earlier is cheaper.

6 Months Before Retirement

Call HRSSC (877-477-3273, Option 5). Formally declare your planned retirement date, request the retirement application package, and schedule a telephonic pre-retirement counseling session. This call is also where you register your personal, non-work email address for the ORA portal.

Verify your FEGLI elections. Review your current FEGLI coverage — Basic, Option A, Option B, and Option C — and start modeling the post-retirement cost. Option B premiums jump from $0.390 per $1,000 at ages 55–59 to $0.867 per $1,000 at ages 60–64. Decide which coverage levels you'll carry into retirement.

Assess your PSHB plan. If you're retiring before the next Open Season, your current PSHB plan continues into retirement. If you're retiring near or during Open Season, you can make a plan change. Evaluate whether your current plan makes sense given your expected post-retirement healthcare usage.

4 to 2 Months Before Retirement

Set up Login.gov. Create a verified Login.gov account using the exact same personal email address you registered with HRSSC. The email must match — a mismatch blocks ORA portal access.

Watch for the ORA invitation. Within three business days of HRSSC processing your email registration, you'll receive an invitation from [email protected] with a secure link to the Online Retirement Application portal. Check your spam folder. If it doesn't arrive within a week, call HRSSC to confirm they entered the correct email.

Complete the ORA application. Log into the ORA portal through Login.gov. Verify the pre-populated fields (employment history, high-3 salary, sick leave balance) against your downloaded eOPF records. Upload required documents: SF 2818 (FEGLI election), marriage certificate, SF 3107-2 spousal consent form (if waiving survivor benefits), DD-214 (if claiming military service). Apply your digital signature PIN and submit.

Digitize your supporting documents. Every form and certificate uploaded to ORA must be a high-resolution PDF. Scan and test-upload before the deadline — blurry or corrupt files delay processing.

30 Days Before Retirement

Confirm your retirement application status. Log into ORA to verify that your application shows as submitted and all document uploads are marked as received. Follow up with HRSSC if any items show as missing.

Build your cash reserve. You'll need three to six months of living expenses accessible after separation. Interim pay during OPM adjudication covers only 60–80% of your estimated net annuity and excludes the FERS Special Retirement Supplement. Your TSP is locked for 30–60 days after separation while USPS payroll certifies your Individual Retirement Record.

Set up BENEFEDS direct payment. During interim pay, your dental (FEDVIP) and vision premiums are not automatically deducted. If you don't arrange direct payment to BENEFEDS, your dental and vision coverage will lapse. Health (PSHB) and life (FEGLI) premiums are retroactively deducted when OPM finalizes your case.

Separation Day

Final paycheck processing. Your last active paycheck covers hours worked through your separation date. The lump-sum annual leave payout is processed separately through the Eagan Accounting Service Center and arrives via direct deposit within one to three weeks.

LiteBlue access ends. Confirm that you've already downloaded everything you need from eOPF. From this point forward, all interactions shift to OPM, not USPS.

After Separation

OPM intake (10–15 days). Once USPS payroll certifies and transmits your retirement records to OPM, intake processing assigns you a permanent Civil Service Annuitant claim number. You'll receive this by mail.

Interim pay begins. OPM starts monthly interim payments — typically 60–80% of your estimated net annuity. These payments don't include the FERS supplement, don't deduct PSHB premiums, and don't withhold state income taxes. Budget accordingly.

OPM adjudication (average 108 days overall, 96 days for digital ORA submissions). OPM calculates your exact annuity, verifies all creditable service, and applies your survivor benefit election. Processing times vary; check your case status through OPM's Services Online portal.

Finalization and retroactive adjustment. OPM issues a retroactive adjustment payment covering the difference between interim payments and your finalized annuity rate. Retroactive health and life insurance premiums are deducted from this adjustment. Your first regular monthly annuity payment deposits on the first business day of the following month.

Set up OPM Services Online. After finalization, register on OPM's Services Online portal using your Login.gov account and CSA claim number. This is where you'll manage tax withholdings, banking information, and annual tax forms going forward.

The USPS Retirement Guide expands each of these steps with worksheets, decision trees, and the specific forms and portal screenshots needed to execute the full handoff from USPS to OPM.

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