5 C.F.R. Subpart D—Termination and Reinstatement of Disability Annuity
Title 5 - Administrative Personnel
(a) Each annuitant receiving disability annuity from the Fund shall be examined under the direction of OPM at the end of one year from the date of disability retirement and annually thereafter until the annuitant becomes 60 years of age unless the disability is found by OPM to be permanent in character. OPM may order a medical or other examination at any time to determine the facts relative to the nature and degree of disability of the annuitant. Failure to submit to reexamination shall result in suspension of annuity. (b) A disability annuitant may request medical reevaluation under the provisions of this section at any time. OPM may reevaluate the medical condition of disability annuitants age 60 or over only on their own request. (c) Recovery based on medical or other documentation. When OPM determines on the basis of medical documentation or other evidence that a disability annuitant has recovered from the disability, OPM will terminate the annuity effective on the first day of the month beginning 1 year after the date of the medical documentation or other evidence showing recovery. If an agency reemploys a disability annuitant who has been found recovered at any grade or rate of pay within the 1-year period pending termination of the disability annuity under this paragraph, OPM will terminate the annuity effective on the date of reemployment. (d) Recovery based on reemployment by the Federal Government. Reemployment by an agency at any time before age 60 is evidence of recovery if the reemployment is under an appointment not limited to a year or less, at the same or higher grade or pay level as the position from which the disability annuitant retired. The new position must be full-time unless the position the disability annuitant occupied immediately before retirement was less than full-time, in which case the new position must have a work schedule of no less time than that of the position from which the disability annuitant retired. In this instance, OPM needs no medical documentation to find the annuitant recovered. Disability annuity payments will terminate effective on the first day of the month following the month in which the recovery finding is made under this paragraph. (a) Earning capacity determinations. If a disability annuitant is under age 60 on December 31 of any calendar year and his or her income from wages or self-employment or both during that calendar year equals at least 80 percent of the current rate of basic pay of the position occupied immediately before retirement, the annuitant's earning capacity is considered to be restored. The disability annuity will terminate on the June 30 after the end of the calendar year in which earning capacity is restored. (b) Current rate of basic pay for the position occupied immediately before retirement. (1) A disability annuitant's income for a calendar year is compared to the gross annual rate of basic pay in effect on December 31 of that year for the position occupied immediately before retirement. The income limitation for most disability annuitants is based on the rate for the grade and step that reflects the total amount of basic pay (both the grade and step and any additional basic pay) in effect on the date of separation from the agency for disability retirement. Additional basic pay is included subject to the premium pay restrictions of 5 U.S.C. 5545 (c)(1) and (c)(2). (2) In the case of an annuitant whose basic pay rate on the date determined under paragraph (b)(1) of this section did not match a specific grade and step in the pay schedule: (i) For those retiring from a Senior Executive Service position, a merit pay position, a position for which a special pay rate is authorized (except as provided in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section), or any other position in which the rate of basic pay is not equal to a grade and step in a pay schedule, the grade and step will be established for this purpose at the lowest step in the pay schedule grade that is equal to or greater than the actual rate of basic pay payable. (ii) For those retiring with a retained rate of basic pay or from a position for which a special pay rate is in effect but whose rate of basic pay exceeds the highest rate payable in the pay schedule grade applicable to the position held, the grade is established for this purpose at the highest grade in the schedule that is closest to the grade of the position held and within which the amount of the retained pay falls. The step is established for this purpose at the lowest step in that grade that equals or exceeds the actual rate of pay payable. (3) For annuitants retiring from the United States Postal Service, only cost-of-living allowances subject to FERS deductions are included in determining the current rate of basic pay of the position held at retirement. (c) Income. (1) Earning capacity for the purposes of this section is demonstrated by an annuitant's ability to earn post-retirement income in exchange for personal services or a work product, or as a profit from one or more businesses wholly or partly owned by the disability annuitant and in the management of which the annuitant has an active role. Income for the purposes of this section is not necessarily the same as income for the purposes of the Internal Revenue Code. (2) Income earned from one source is not offset by losses from another source. Income earned as wages is not reduced by a net loss from self-employment. The net income from each self-employment endeavor is calculated separately, and the income earned as net earnings from one self-employment endeavor is not reduced by a net loss from another self-employment endeavor. Thus, a net loss from one endeavor is considered to be a net income of zero, and the net incomes from each separate self-employment endeavor are added together to determine the total amount of income from self-employment for a calendar year. (3) Income is counted in the calendar year in which it is earned, even though receipt may be deferred. (d) Requirement to report income. All disability annuitants who, on December 31 of any calendar year, are under age 60 must report to OPM their income from wages or self-employment or both for that calendar year. Each year as early as possible, OPM will send a form to annuitants to use in reporting their income from the previous calendar year. The form specifies the date by which OPM must receive the report. OPM will determine entitlement to continued annuity on the basis of the report. If an annuitant fails to submit the report, OPM may stop annuity payments until it receives the report. (a) When a disability annuity is terminated because of recovery or restoration of earning capacity and the individual is not employed in the Government, the individual is entitled to an annuity: (1) Under 5 U.S.C. 8414(b) if the individual: (i) Is at least age 50 when the disability annuity ceases and had 20 or more years of service at the time of retiring for disability; or (ii) Has 25 or more years of service at the time of retiring for disability, regardless of age; or (2) Under 5 U.S.C. 8412(g) if the individual is at least the minimum retirement age applicable under 5 U.S.C. 8412(h) when the disability annuity ceases and had 10 or more years of service at the time of retiring for disability. (b) When a disability annuitant whose annuity was terminated because of Federal reemployment is separated and meets the age and service requirements for immediate retirement under 5 U.S.C. 8412 or 8414, the individual is entitled to an annuity computed under 5 U.S.C. 8415. [55 FR 6598, Feb. 26, 1990. Redesignated at 58 FR 48273, Sept. 15, 1993] (a) When a disability annuity stops, the individual must again prove that he or she meets the eligibility requirements in order to have the annuity reinstated. (b) Reinstatement of annuity terminated based on recovery. (1) When a recovered disability annuitant under age 62 whose annuity was terminated because he or she was found recovered on the basis of medical evidence (§844.401) is not reemployed in a position subject to FERS, and, based on the results of a current medical examination, OPM finds that the disability has recurred, OPM will reinstate the disability annuity as provided in paragraph (d) of this section. The right to the reinstated annuity begins on the date of the medical documentation showing that the disability has recurred, or if the medical documentation clearly shows that the disability recurred on an earlier date, the annuity will be reinstated on that earlier date. (2) Except in the case of an individual receiving an annuity under §844.404(b), OPM will, as provided in paragraph (d) of this section, reinstate the disability annuity of a former annuitant whose annuity was terminated because he or she was found recovered on the basis of Federal reemployment when: (i) The results of a current medical examination show that the individual's medical condition has worsened since the finding of recovery and that the original disability on which retirement was based has recurred; and (ii) As a result, he or she has been: (A) Separated and not reemployed in a position subject to FERS; or (B) Placed in a position that results in a reduction in grade or pay below that from which the individual retired, or in a change to a temporary or intermittent appointment. The right to the reinstated annuity begins on the date the reemployment ends or the effective date of the placement in the position that results in a reduction in grade or pay or change in appointment. (c) Reinstatement of annuity terminated because earning capacity was restored. (1) OPM will reinstate the disability annuity as provided in paragraph (d) of this section when a disability annuitant whose annuity was terminated under §844.402(a): (i) Is not reemployed in a position subject to FERS; (ii) Has not recovered from the disability for which the individual retired (except in the case of a military reserve technician whose annuity was awarded under 5 U.S.C. 8456); and (iii) Again loses earning capacity, as determined by OPM. (2) The reinstated annuity is payable from January 1 of the year following the calendar year in which earning capacity was lost. Earning capacity is lost if, during any calendar year, the individual's income from wages or self-employment or both is less than 80 percent of the current rate of basic pay of the position held at retirement. (d) Except as provided in §§844.303 and 844.304, a disability annuity reinstated under the preceding paragraphs of this section is paid at the rate provided under §844.302(b) until the end of the 12th month beginning after the annuity is reinstated. Thereafter, the rate determined under §844.302(c) is payable until age 62. (e) Notwithstanding the preceding paragraphs, an annuity may not be reinstated under this section if the individual is receiving an annuity under part 842 of this chapter. [55 FR 6598, Feb. 26, 1990. Redesignated and amended at 58 FR 48273, Sept. 15, 1993]
Title 5: Administrative Personnel
PART 844—FEDERAL EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM—DISABILITY RETIREMENT
Subpart D—Termination and Reinstatement of Disability Annuity
§ 844.401 Recovery from disability.
§ 844.402 Restoration of earning capacity.
§ 844.403 Annuity rights after a disability annuity terminates.
§ 844.404 Reinstatement of disability annuity.
