What Can You Do If Your Agency Delays Sending Paperwork to OWCP?
If your agency is slow to send paperwork to OWCP, start by documenting what you submitted and when. eCOMP and written communications can help show whether the documents reached the claim file and where the delay may have occurred.
What Is the Agency Supposed to Do?
The employing agency has responsibilities in the OWCP process, including forwarding claim materials in a prompt manner. An internal delay can affect medical authorization, claim development, or compensation even when the employee completed the paperwork on time.
Electronic filing has reduced some of these problems, but it has not eliminated them. A missing document still needs a clear record of when it was provided and who received it.
How Can You Document the Delay?
Keep copies of forms, confirmation pages, emails, and any eCOMP upload records. If a supervisor or compensation specialist received a document, note the date and method of submission.
Then notify the OWCP claims examiner in writing. A concise explanation with supporting proof is more useful than a general complaint that the agency is slow.
What Other Options May Help?
Depending on the workplace and the type of delay, a union grievance or another formal agency process may be available. The claims examiner may also contact the agency about its responsibility to cooperate with claim processing.
The takeaway: build a clear paper trail and raise the issue through the proper channels. A documented delay is easier to address than one that depends only on memory or verbal conversations.
Every Schedule Award and compensation case is unique. The Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) does not publish fixed timelines or guaranteed outcomes. Benefits depend on your medical evidence, impairment rating, and OWCP’s review process. The information provided here is for general educational purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice. For guidance on your specific claim, consult with an experienced federal workers’ compensation attorney.