§ 4048. Retirement for disability or incapacity

(a) Causes; service credit

Any participant who has at least 5 years of service credit toward retirement under the System (excluding military and naval service) and who becomes totally disabled or incapacitated for useful and efficient service by reason of disease, illness, or injury (not due to vicious habits, intemperance, or willful conduct of the participant) shall, upon his or her own application or upon order of the Secretary, be retired on an annuity computed as prescribed in section 4046 of this title. If the disabled or incapacitated participant has less than 20 years of service credit toward retirement under the System at the time of retirement, his or her annuity shall be computed on the assumption that the participant has had 20 years of service, except that the additional service credit that may accrue to a participant under this sentence shall in no case exceed the difference between his or her age at the time of retirement and age 60.

However, if a participant retiring under this section is receiving retired pay or retainer pay for military service (except that specified in section 8332(c)(1) or (2) of title 5) or Department of Veterans Affairs pension or compensation in lieu of such retired or retainer pay, the annuity of that participant shall be computed under this part excluding extra credit authorized by this subsection and excluding credit for military service from that computation. If the amount of the annuity so computed, plus the retired or retainer pay which is received, or which would be received but for the application of the limitation in section 5532 for any part of the same period of time. Neither this subsection nor any provision of subchapter I of such chapter 8 shall be construed to deny the right of any participant to receive an annuity under this part and to receive concurrently any payment under subchapter I of such chapter 8 by reason of the death of any other individual.

(e) Lump sum disability payments Notwithstanding any other law, the right of any individual entitled to an annuity under this part shall not be affected because such person has received an award of compensation in a lump sum under section 8135 of title 5, except that where such annuity is payable on account of the same disability for which compensation under such section has been paid, so much of such compensation as has been paid for any period extended beyond the date such annuity becomes effective, as determined by the Secretary of Labor, shall be refunded to the Department of Labor, to be paid into the Federal Employees’ Compensation Fund. Before such individual receives such annuity, he or she shall—

(1) refund to the Department of Labor the amount representing such commuted payments for such extended period, or

(2) authorize the deduction of such amount from the annuity payable under this part, which amount shall be transmitted to the Department of Labor for reimbursement to such Fund.

Deductions from such annuity may be made from accrued and accruing payments, or may be prorated against and paid from accruing payments in such manner as the Secretary of Labor shall determine, whenever the Secretary of Labor finds that the financial circumstances of the annuitant warrant deferred refunding.

(f) Time of filing application; waiver

A claim may be allowed under this section only if the application is filed with the Secretary of State before the participant is separated from the Service or within one year thereafter. This time limitation may be waived by the Secretary of State for a participant who at the date of separation from the Service or within one year thereafter is mentally incompetent, if the application is filed with the Secretary of State within one year from the date of restoration of the participant to competency or the appointment of a fiduciary, whichever is earlier.

(Pub. L. 96–465, title I, § 808, Oct. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 2110; Ex. Ord. No. 12289, § 2, Feb. 14, 1981, 46 F.R. 12693; Pub. L. 99–335, title IV, § 402(a)(2), (b), June 6, 1986, 100 Stat. 609; Pub. L. 100–238, title II, § 215(a), Jan. 8, 1988, 101 Stat. 1774; Pub. L. 102–54, § 13(h)(2), June 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 275.)

References In Text

References in Text

Section 5532 of title 5, referred to in subsec. (a), was repealed by Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title VI, § 651(a)(1), Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 664.

Amendments

Amendments

1991—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–54 substituted “Department of Veterans Affairs” for “Veterans’ Administration” in two places in second par.

1988—Subsecs. (a), (b). Pub. L. 100–238 substituted “60” for “65”.

1986—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 99–335, § 402(a)(2), substituted “part” for “subchapter” in three places.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 99–335, § 402(b)(1), substituted “subchapter I of such chapter 8” for “such subchapter” in three places and “part” for “chapter” in three places.

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 99–335, § 402(b)(2), substituted “part” for “chapter” in two places.

1981—Subsec. (a). Ex. Ord. No. 12289 added second par. relating to computation of annuity for participant retiring under this section and receiving retired or retainer pay.

Effective Date Of Amendment

Effective Date of 1988 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 100–238 effective 90 days after Jan. 8, 1988, see section 261(a) of Pub. L. 100–238, set out as a note under section 4054 of this title.

Effective Date of 1986 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 99–335 effective Jan. 1, 1987, see section 702(a) of Pub. L. 99–335, set out as an Effective Date note under section 8401 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Effective Date of 1981 Amendment

Amendment by Ex. Ord. No. 12289 effective Feb. 15, 1981, see section 3 of Ex. Ord. No. 12289, set out under section 4067 of this title.