The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is rolling out a sweeping change to the federal retirement process, a move that is expected to significantly reduce the time it takes for government employees to receive their retirement benefits.
The new system, named the Online Retirement Application (ORA), will be launched on June 2, 2025, aiming to streamline a traditionally sluggish and paper-heavy process. This shift comes as part of a broader effort to modernise government services and improve efficiency.
In recent years, the federal retirement application process has come under scrutiny for being outdated and cumbersome. Despite advancements in technology, the system remained heavily reliant on paper records, with retirement documents stored in physical archives and processed manually by hundreds of workers.
According to DOGE, this method had led to delays, with retirees often waiting months to receive their retirement funds. The introduction of ORA promises to address these issues, enabling a faster, more accurate system for federal employees.
ORA: The Move to a Digital System
As of June 2, 2025, federal agencies served by the National Finance Center and the Interior Business Center will begin using the new ORA system. This shift is crucial for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which has been working to replace the antiquated paper-based system.
As a result, any retirement applications submitted on paper after the launch date will no longer be processed, pushing federal employees towards the new digital platform. Agencies not linked to the shared services providers will be given an alternative electronic submission method, ensuring no department is left behind.
Elon Musk, who has led DOGE’s reform efforts, has been outspoken about the inefficiencies of the old system, which relied on the “Iron Mountain” facility in Boyers, Pennsylvania. According to DOGE, the facility stores over 400 million retirement records in manila envelopes and cardboard boxes.
Key Benefits of the New System
One of the main goals of the new ORA system is to reduce the processing time for retirement benefits, which has historically taken several months. According to DOGE, retirees can expect to see their benefits processed within less than a month, a significant reduction compared to the previous 3-5 months.
This development is expected to alleviate frustrations among federal employees, who have often faced long waits during retirement.
Charles Ezell, Acting Director of the OPM, voiced support for the digital transition, emphasising that the federal workforce deserves a retirement process that meets the demands of modern technology. According to Ezell, the new system will provide a user-friendly, efficient solution that reflects the advancements of the 21st century.
