Federal workers' compensation for work-related injuries and occupational illnesses — wage-loss and medical benefits that interact with leave and retirement.
The Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) provides tax-free wage-loss compensation and medical benefits to federal employees who have a work-related injury or occupational disease. It is separate from disability retirement and has its own claim process, forms, and review cycles.
Understanding your claim status, how a work injury interacts with your leave balances, and what happens if OWCP determines you have reached maximum medical improvement helps you avoid losing options you did not know you had.
OWCP Wage-Loss
66⅔%–75% of salary, tax-free, for accepted condition
Medical Benefits
Full coverage for the accepted condition
Return-to-Work
Subject to periodic review and limited-duty offers
Disability Retirement
Often pursued in parallel as a long-term backstop
Federal benefits do not operate in isolation. The same facts can matter across multiple programs.
OWCP can provide more income in the short term but less certainty long-term. Many employees preserve the option of disability retirement while on OWCP — but you generally cannot receive full OWCP wage-loss compensation and FERS disability retirement annuity at the same time without an offset. The answer depends on your circumstances.
If OWCP ends, disability retirement can provide a path forward — but only if you filed within one year of your separation from federal service.
Using FMLA or LWOP while on an OWCP claim affects how your leave and service computation interact.
OWCP benefits can end if you are found to have reached maximum medical improvement — there is no fixed time limit but no guarantee either.
A work-related condition does not automatically disqualify you from disability retirement; the two systems use different standards.
Documenting the connection between your injury and your duties from the beginning is what supports a claim through review.
Free, with no obligation
The call is free. You are not committing to anything by having the conversation.
A conversation, not a presentation
We listen to your situation, explain how the relevant concepts apply, and answer your questions.
Educational, not advice
You receive guidance and understanding — not legal, medical, or financial advice, and no products are sold on the call.