OWCP Schedule Awards Explained
A schedule award is compensation for permanent impairment to certain parts of the body caused by an accepted federal work injury. It's separate from wage-loss compensation, so it can be paid even if you're back at work.
Many federal employees never claim one because they don't know it exists.
What a schedule award covers
FECA lists the body parts and functions that qualify, such as the arms, legs, hands, feet, fingers, toes, eyes and hearing, along with certain organs. The award is based on how much permanent loss or loss of use you have.
The amount is calculated as a set number of weeks of compensation for each listed body part, multiplied by your impairment percentage and your compensation rate.
When you can apply
- Your injury claim must be accepted.
- You must have reached maximum medical improvement (MMI), meaning your condition is not expected to improve much further with treatment.
- You file the claim on Form CA-7.
The impairment rating
OWCP requires a medical evaluation that rates your permanent impairment using the American Medical Association's Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment. The report needs to be detailed enough for OWCP's medical adviser to review.
An incomplete or poorly supported rating is one of the most common reasons schedule award claims stall.
How Injury Federal Clinic helps
Our providers perform impairment ratings and disability evaluations for federal employees, and our claims team helps with the CA-7 and follow-up requests from OWCP.
Talk to our team
Injury Federal Clinic is a Medical Provider for the U.S. Department of Labor in Jacksonville, open weekdays and Saturday mornings.
This article is general information, not legal advice. OWCP and your claims examiner make all coverage decisions, and deadlines can depend on your case; check your decision letters and the U.S. Department of Labor website.
