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United States 

Office of 

Personnel Management 

The Federal Government’s Human Resources Agency

 

Benefits Administration Letter

Number 14-105 Date: February 04, 2014

Subject: Updates to the Data Exchange Gateway and Important 

Reminders 

Purpose: The purpose of this Benefits Administration Letter (BAL) is to provide 

updates to the Data Exchange Gateway (DEG), give some important reminders on data 

submission, and to introduce the revised DEG Data Set Starter Kit. 

Background: The DEG is an electronic gateway for agencies and payroll offices to 

submit data to OPM’s Retirement Operations (RO). In 1994, RO launched a new 

program to enhance the service we deliver to retiring federal employees called the 

Automated Front End Program (AFEP). Under the AFEP, agencies submit data via the 

DEG that is used by RO to automatically load OPM’s financial system with financial data 

and our annuity roll systems with retirement-related data. This system automatically 

establishes the unique record and initiates its tracking. For retirees, the AFEP establishes 

the retirement claim, generates the annuitant identification card, transfers the health 

benefits enrollment to us OPM and authorizes interim annuity payments for entitled 

claimants. 

What’s New: First, we would like to point out a few new items in the DEG Data Set 

Starter Kit (Attachment 1). These are:

 Phased Retirement – New retirement codes have been developed to implement 

Phased Retirement. Two new codes have been added to the DEG Annuity Case 

Type, position 210: 

 0 – Phased Initial for initial Phased Retirement claims 

 9 – Phased Final for final Phased Retirement claims 

 FERS-RAE – No changes to the DEG were required for FERS-RAE. The DEG 

reflect only CSRS or FERS 

 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS – A new question and answer was added to the 

Q&As to help agencies maximize the amount of interim pay that is authorized for 

their employees based on the DEG data set: 

 How do I improve the likelihood of the maximum accurate interim pay 

for my former employee? Interim pay may be systematically processed as 

part of the AFEP. To increase the likelihood of the maximum accurate 

interim pay for former employees there is one major action you can take: 

verify the data you will submit to OPM. 
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 Do all required fields have data entered? 

 Is all data entered accurately? 

 Verifying the data will assist in obtaining an accurate calculation result for 

cases that can be calculated as part of the AFEP. It also prevents the 

AFEP from calculating interim pay for cases that need an OPM employee 

review to verify certain situations. These cases are reviewed by an OPM 

employee and manually placed into interim pay. An example of this is a 

case with a special calculation – Air Traffic Controller or Fire Fighter. 

This case type needs to be excluded from cases that have interim pay 

calculated by AFEP. They need a different rate paid, just like their final 

annuity is paid at a different rate. 

Discussion: The DEG and AFEP have recently been updated to add information and 

data needed to implement Phased Retirement, among other things. We have updated the 

DEG Data Set Starter Kit to reflect these changes. The revised DEG Data Set Starter Kit 

is an attachment to this BAL. The following are important reminders about providing 

accurate data to the DEG: 

Employee versus Retirement data: The data submitted should represent data that is 

updated for the applicant’s retirement. We use this information to make annuity 

payments, withhold taxes, transfer in health benefits enrollment and send correspondence 

to the recent retiree. In at least 50% of the cases, this happens before we even look at the 

retirement application package. If outdated employment data is submitted rather than 

retirement data, the recent retiree may need to contact OPM after receiving a claim 

number to update information such as tax withholding and payment and correspondence 

address. Here are some examples: 

Position Number Data Element Name Information

68-153 Employee Address: 

Street Address Lines 1, 2 

and 3; City; State; Zip 

Code; and, Zip Code 

Suffix

For retirements, submit the address the 

employee requests on the retirement 

application

220-222 Health Benefits Code This item needs to reflect the coverage 

the employee has in effect on the 

retirement date. If eligible to continue 

FEHB into retirement, submit the code 

in effect on the retirement date. If there 

is an Open Season change or other 

change at retirement that will be 

effective after the retirement date, place 

the flag sheet (Attachment 2) with the 

election information in the hard copy 

documents being sent to OPM

232-235 Tax Withholding; Tax 

Marital Status Code; and, 

Submit the withholding status the 

employee request for retirement
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Tax Exemptions Claimed 

236-262 EFT: Address Routing 

Number; Address Check 

Digit; Account Type; 

and, Account Number 

Submit EFT information for the 

account the employee selects for 

retirement

Data Quality: Several data elements have a significant impact on interim pay processing 

and the amount of interim pay authorized. Please be sure to use the appropriate 

indicators if any of the situations apply. A few examples are: 

Position Number Data Element Name Information

210 Annuity Case Type 4 = Law Enforcement Officer & 

Firefighter; 8 = Air Traffic Control

229 Additional Optional Life 

Insurance

If a mixed election is made (some 

multiples at Full Reduction and some at 

No Reduction), code the total number 

of multiples elected as No Reduction. 

For example, if the election is 2 

multiples at Full Reduction and 2 

multiples at No Reduction, enter 4 

multiples at No Reduction

230 Family Life Insurance If a mixed election is made (some 

multiples at Full Reduction and some at 

No Reduction), code the total number 

of multiples elected as No Reduction. 

For example, if the election is 2 

multiples at Full Reduction and 2 

multiples at No Reduction, enter 4 

multiples at No Reduction

231 Survivor Election If any amount is elected, use Y

267 Part-Time CSRS: Part time service after 4/7/86: Y 

or N; FERS: ANY Part time service: Y 

or N

268 Current Receipt of 

OWCP

Received any OWCP in past 2 years? 

Y or N

269 CSRS Offset Are they retiring under CSRS Offset? 

Y or N

270 Court Order Awarding 

Survivor Benefits with 

Application

Is there a Court Ordered Survivor 

benefit? Y or N

There are some additional items that also impact data quality. Please review the 

following: 

Position Number Data Element Name Information

13-16 Register Number Do not repeat register # in the same 
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year or use it for both CSRS and FERS 

at any time in the year

130-149 Employee Address: City; 

State; and, Zip Code

Please note: the City, State, and Zip 

Code are required for all submissions, 

including Type Claim 03 (position 11)

156-161 Payroll Office Should match the number on the hard 

copy register and the hard copy IRR

210 Annuity Case Type 5 = OPM Approved Disability (use for 

Type Claim 3)

Final Note: All hard copy registers and records must be sent to OPM the same day the 

electronic DEG data set is transmitted to OPM. If they are not, the processing of 

retirement claims (including the authorization of the initial interim payment) may be 

delayed. 

If you have any questions concerning this BAL, you may contact Sherri Krupa, 

Management and Program Analyst at 724-794-2005, Extension 3906 or 

sherri.krupa@opm.gov.

 Kenneth J Zawodny Jr 

 Associate Director 

 Retirement Services