Federal employees covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) may have access to
SSDI in addition to other disability-related benefits. For workers who become unable to continue their
federal careers because of a disability, understanding how these programs interact can be especially
important.
FERS disability retirement and SSDI are separate programs with different eligibility requirements. A
federal employee may need to apply for Social Security disability benefits as part of the FERS disability
retirement process, depending on the circumstances.