Title 5Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-73

§8452 Computation of disability annuity

Title 5 › Part PART III— - EMPLOYEES › Subpart Subpart G— - Insurance and Annuities › Chapter CHAPTER 84— - FEDERAL EMPLOYEES’ RETIREMENT SYSTEM › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER V— - DISABILITY BENEFITS › § 8452

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

An annuitant’s disability annuity starts at 60 percent of their average pay for the first 12 months after the annuity begins or is restored. After those 12 months, the annuity drops to 40 percent of average pay. During the first 12 months, the annuity is not changed for cost-of-living adjustments. After the first 12 months, the annuity is updated to reflect all cost-of-living adjustments that happened after that first year. If the person also gets Social Security disability benefits, the annuity is cut by those benefits: during the first 12 months it is reduced by 100 percent of the assumed Social Security benefit for that month, and after the first 12 months it is reduced by 60 percent of that assumed benefit. The “assumed” Social Security benefit means the amount they were entitled to when the annuity began (or first month they had both benefits), adjusted for later cost-of-living changes. When checking Social Security offset rules, use the annuity amount before this reduction. If an annuitant is getting the disability annuity the day before they turn 62, the Office must refigure the annuity starting on their 62nd birthday using the regular retirement formula. When refiguring, add the time they already had disability annuity as service time and adjust the average pay for any cost-of-living changes that applied to those periods. If the annuity starts on or after that redetermination date, or the person already meets normal retirement age and service rules when it starts, the annuity is computed under the retirement rules. The annuitant’s final annuity cannot be less than what the retirement formula would give; that retirement amount is also adjusted as if it had begun when the disability annuity started.

Full Legal Text

Title 5, §8452

Government Organization and Employees — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)(A)Except as provided in paragraph (2), or subsection (b), (c), or (d), the annuity of an annuitant under this subchapter—
(i)for the period beginning on the date on which such annuity commences, or is restored (as described in section 8455(b)(2) or (3)), and ending at the end of the twelfth month beginning on or after such date, shall be equal to 60 percent of the annuitant’s average pay; and
(ii)after the end of the period referred to in clause (i), shall be equal to 40 percent of the annuitant’s average pay.
(B)An annuity computed under this paragraph—
(i)shall not, during any period referred to in subparagraph (A)(i), be adjusted under section 8462; but
(ii)shall, after the end of any period referred to in subparagraph (A)(i), be adjusted to reflect all adjustments made under section 8462(b) after the end of the period referred to in subparagraph (A)(i), whether the amount actually payable to the annuitant under this section in any month is determined under this subsection or otherwise.
(2)(A)For any month in which an annuitant is entitled both to an annuity under this subchapter as computed under paragraph (1) and to a disability insurance benefit under section 223 of the Social Security Act, the annuitant’s annuity for such month (as so computed) shall—
(i)if such month occurs during a period referred to in paragraph (1)(A)(i), be reduced by 100 percent of the annuitant’s assumed disability insurance benefit for such month; or
(ii)if such month occurs other than during a period referred to in paragraph (1)(A)(i), be reduced by 60 percent of the annuitant’s assumed disability insurance benefit for such month;
(B)(i)For purposes of this paragraph, the assumed disability insurance benefit of an annuitant for any month shall be equal to—
(I)the amount of the disability insurance benefit to which the annuitant is entitled under section 223 of the Social Security Act for the month in which the annuity under this subchapter commences, or is restored, or, if no entitlement to such disability insurance benefits exists for such month, the first month thereafter for which the annuitant is entitled both to an annuity under this subchapter and disability insurance benefits under section 223 of the Social Security Act, adjusted by
(II)all adjustments made under section 8462(b) after the end of the period referred to in paragraph (1)(A)(i) (or, if later, after the end of the month preceding the first month for which the annuitant is entitled both to an annuity under this subchapter and disability insurance benefits under section 223 of the Social Security Act) and before the start of the month involved (without regard to whether the annuitant’s annuity was affected by any of those adjustments).
(ii)For purposes of applying section 224 of the Social Security Act to the assumed disability insurance benefit used to compute the reduction under this paragraph, the amount of the annuity under this subchapter which is considered shall be the amount of the annuity as determined before the application of this paragraph.
(3)section 8462 shall apply with respect to amounts under this subsection only as provided in paragraphs (1) and (2).
(b)(1)Except as provided in subsection (d), if an annuitant is entitled to an annuity under this subchapter as of the day before the date of the sixty-second anniversary of the annuitant’s birth (hereinafter in this section referred to as the annuitant’s “redetermination date”), such annuity shall be redetermined by the Office in accordance with paragraph (2). Effective as of the annuitant’s redetermination date, the annuity (as so redetermined) shall be in lieu of any annuity to which such annuitant would otherwise be entitled under this subchapter.
(2)(A)An annuity redetermined under this subsection shall be equal to the amount of the annuity to which the annuitant would be entitled under section 8415, taking into account the provisions of subparagraph (B).
(B)In performing a computation under this paragraph—
(i)creditable service of an annuitant shall be increased by including any period (or periods) before the annuitant’s redetermination date during which the annuitant was entitled to an annuity under this subchapter; and
(ii)the average pay which would otherwise be used shall be adjusted to reflect all adjustments made under section 8462(b) with respect to any period (or periods) referred to in clause (i) (without regard to whether the annuitant’s annuity was affected by any of those adjustments).
(c)Except as provided in subsection (d), the annuity of an annuitant under this subchapter shall be computed under section 8415 if—
(1)such annuity commences, or is restored, beginning on or after the redetermination date of the annuitant; or
(2)as of the day on which such annuity commences, or is restored, the annuitant satisfies the age and service requirements for entitlement to an annuity under section 8412 (other than subsection (g) of such section).
(d)(1)The annuity to which an annuitant is entitled under this section (after the reduction under subsection (a)(2), if applicable, has been made) shall not be less than the amount of an annuity computed under section 8415 (excluding subsection (h) of such section).
(2)In applying this subsection with respect to any annuitant, the amount of an annuity so computed under section 8415 shall be adjusted under section 8462 (including subsection (c) thereof)—
(A)to the same extent, and otherwise in the same manner, as if it were an annuity—
(i)subject to adjustment under such section; and
(ii)with a commencement date coinciding with the date the annuitant’s annuity commenced or was restored under this subchapter, as the case may be; and
(B)whether the amount actually payable to the annuitant under this section in any month is determined under this subsection or otherwise.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 223 and 224 of the Social Security Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(2), are classified to section 423 and 424a, respectively, of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.

Amendments

2012—Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 112–96 substituted “subsection (h)” for “subsection (g)”. 2003—Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 108–176 substituted “subsection (g)” for “subsection (f)”. 1988—Subsec. (a)(1)(B). Pub. L. 100–238, § 122(c)(2)(A), amended subpar. (B) generally. Prior to amendment, subpar. (B) read as follows: “An annuity computed under this paragraph shall not, for purposes of any adjustment under section 8462 (including any adjustment under subsection (c)(1) of such section), be considered to have commenced until after such annuity ceases to be determined under subparagraph (A)(i).” Subsec. (a)(2)(B)(i). Pub. L. 100–238, § 122(a), amended cl. (i) generally. Prior to amendment, cl. (i) read as follows: “For purposes of this paragraph, the assumed disability insurance benefit of an annuitant for any month shall be equal to— “(I) the amount of the disability insurance benefit to which the annuitant would have been entitled under section 223 of the Social Security Act for the month in which the annuity under this subchapter commenced, or was restored, determined as if such annuitant had then satisfied all requirements for entitlement to a benefit under such section, adjusted by “(II) all adjustments made under section 8462(b) between the date on which the annuity commenced, or was restored, and the start of the month involved (without regard to whether the annuitant’s annuity was affected by any of those adjustments). For purposes of computing the assumed disability insurance benefit, the month in which the annuitant’s disability began (as determined under section 216(i)(2)(C) of the Social Security Act) shall be the month in which the annuity commenced or, if earlier (and if a determination was actually made) the month determined under such section.” Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 100–238, § 122(c)(2)(B), added par. (3). Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 100–238, § 122(b), amended subsec. (b) generally, substituting pars. (1) and (2) for former pars. (1) to (4). Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 100–238, § 122(c)(1), designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added par. (2). 1986—Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 99–556, § 106, substituted “(a)(1)(A)(i)” for “(a)(1)(A)” in second sentence. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 99–556, § 104, inserted “(after the reduction under subsection (a)(2), if applicable, has been made)”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2003 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 108–176 effective on 60th day after Dec. 12, 2003, and applicable with respect to any annuity entitlement based on an individual’s separation from service occurring on or after such

Effective Date

, and any service performed by any such individual before, on, or after such

Effective Date

, subject to special rule relating to deposit requirement, see section 226(c) of Pub. L. 108–176, set out as a note under section 8401 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1988 Amendment section 122(d) of Pub. L. 100–238 provided that: “The

Amendments

made by this section [amending this section] shall be effective as of January 1, 1987, as if they had been enacted as part of the Federal Employees’ Retirement System Act of 1986 (Public Law 99–335; 100 Stat. 514 and following).”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

5 U.S.C. § 8452

Title 5Government Organization and Employees

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73