2016 FECA Bulletins Archive

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Attention: This bulletin has been superseded and is inactive.

FECA BULLETIN NO. 16-01

Issue Date: October 13, 2015

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Subject: Signatures on Outgoing Correspondence

Background: DFEC routinely responds to a myriad of written inquiries. Claims staff also issue written correspondence when developing and adjudicating a claim, and when terminating, reducing or suspending entitlement following case acceptance.

In an increasingly digital age, DFEC has determined that some outgoing correspondence no longer requires a signature to release. It should be noted, however, that the author of the document must still be identified including by title. DFEC has also clarified procedures with regards to the specific identification of the author.

Purpose: To provide guidance on (1) what outgoing correspondence no longer requires a signature prior to release, and (2) the format by which claims staff should identify themselves when writing correspondence, regardless of whether a signature is required.

Applicability: All National Office and District Office personnel.

Action:

1. Claims staff may release any routine correspondence, including initial development letters as addressed in DFEC PM 2-0800, without a signature. However, the author of the correspondence must be identified on the letter in accordance with action item 2 below.

Correspondence that must bear a signature¹ includes:

(1) Priority Correspondence as addressed in DFEC PM 2-0300.5;

(2) Controlled Correspondence as addressed in DFEC PM 2-0300.6;

(3) Initial Acceptances as addressed in DFEC PM 2-0806;

(4) Initial Denials as addressed in DFEC PM 2-1401;

(5) All Formal Decisions, including Proposed Decisions, addressed in DFEC PM 2-1400;

(6) Preliminary Findings of Overpayment, Final Decisions of Overpayment, and any correspondence used with the intention of collecting a debt as addressed in DFEC PM Part 6;

(7) Responses to Privacy Act and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Requests.

2. Claims staff should clearly identify themselves in any written correspondence and include their current title. Personnel may choose a convention for signing: to either use their full name or abbreviate their first name. Use of a middle initial is also optional. For example, the following would be appropriate identifiers for John M. Smith (sample titles inserted thereafter).

(1) John M. Smith, Special Examiner

(2) John Smith, Claims Examiner

(3) J. Smith, Supervisory Claims Examiner

(4) J.M. Smith, Senior Claims Examiner

However, if any office has multiple individuals that could potentially have identical identifiers (i.e. John Smith, Jane Smith), the District Office will establish a procedure to identify the exact author of the document.

 

Disposition: This bulletin is to be retained until incorporated unto the DFEC Procedure Manual.

 

Douglas C. Fitzgerald
Director for
Federal Employees' Compensation

¹Original signatures need not be a wet signature. It may be a computerized signature; the Electronic Approval Process (ELAPP) being piloted by DFEC will create a signing record incorporating an approval process confirming that the signature is legally binding and valid. Formalized procedures will be issued when piloting is completed.

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Attention: This bulletin has been superseded and is inactive.

FECA BULLETIN NO. 16-02

Issue Date: March 1, 2016

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Expiration Date: January 1, 2017

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Subject: Compensation Pay: Compensation Rate Changes Effective January 2016.

Background: On December 18, 2015, the President signed an Executive Order implementing a salary increase of 1.0 percent in the General Schedule basic pay. The applicability under 5 U.S.C. 8112 only includes the 1.0 percent increase in the basic General Schedule. Any additional increase for locality-based pay is excluded. The adjustment became effective at the start of the first full pay period after January 1, 2016.

Purpose: To inform the appropriate personnel of the increased minimum/maximum rates of compensation and the adjustment procedures for affected cases on the periodic disability and death payrolls.

The new rates were effective with the first compensation payroll period beginning on or after January 1, 2016. Thus, for daily roll supplemental payments January 10, 2016 is the specific effective date of the increase. The effective date for the increase of periodic and death roll payments will also be January 10, 2016. The new maximum compensation rate payable is based on the scheduled salary of a GS-15, Step 10, which is now $133,444 per annum. The basis for the minimum compensation rate is the salary of a GS-2, Step 1 which is now $20,623 per annum.

The minimum increase specified in this Bulletin is applicable to employees of the U.S. Postal Service.

The effect on 5 U.S.C. 8112 is to increase the payment of compensation for disability claims to:

increase the payment of compensation for disability claims

Effective January 10, 2016	Minimum	Maximum
Weekly	$297.45	$1,924.67
Daily (5-day week)	59.49	384.93

 

increase the payment of compensation for disability claims

Effective January 10, 2016	Minimum	Maximum
28-Day Cycle	$1,189.76	$7,698.69

The effect on 5 U.S.C. 8133(e) is to increase the monthly pay on which the compensation for death is computed to:

increase the monthly pay on which the compensation for death

Effective January 10, 2016	Minimum	Maximum
Monthly	$1,718.58	$8,340.25

Applicability: Appropriate National and District Office personnel

Reference: Memorandum for Executive Heads of Departments and Agencies dated December 18, 2015; and the attachment for the 2016 General Schedule.

Action: The Integrated Federal Employees' Compensation System (iFECS) will update the periodic disability and death payrolls. It should be noted that this adjustment process re-calculates EVERY compensation record from its very beginning to current date. Thus, it may be that minor changes in the gross compensation are noted; this is not necessarily incorrect.

Any cases keyed as "Gross Overrides without CPI" in iFECS will not have a supplemental record or make a separate calculation of additional entitlement. Thus, these gross override cases must be reviewed to determine if adjustments are necessary. If an adjustment is necessary, a manual calculation will be required and the case record documented. A notice should be sent to the payee by the District Office, detailing the change in the rate of compensation. All cases keyed as "Gross Overrides with CPI" will be adjusted in the usual manner.

1. Adjustments Dates.

a. As the effective date of the adjustment was January 10, 2016 for the periodic disability and death rolls, there was no supplemental payroll needed. The February 6, 2016 death and disability payments will include any necessary minimum or maximum compensation adjustments.

b. As the effective date of the adjustment was January 10, 2016 for the periodic disability and death rolls, there was no supplemental payroll needed. The February 6, 2016 death and disability payments will include any necessary minimum or maximum compensation adjustments.

2. Adjustment of Daily Roll Payments. The salary adjustments are not retroactive, so it is assumed that all Federal agencies have ample time to receive and report the new pay rates on claims for compensation filed on or after January 1, 2016. Therefore, it is not necessary to review any of these payments.

However, if an inquiry is received then verification of the pay rate must be secured from the employing agency, and the necessary adjustment applied.

 

Disposition: This bulletin is to be retained in Part 5, Benefit Payments, Federal (FECA) Procedure Manual, until the indicated expiration date.

 

DOUGLAS C. FITZGERALD
Director for
Federal Employees' Compensation

Distribution: All DFEC Staff

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