The backlog of retirement claims filed by federal employees dropped by 22 percent from August to September, the Office of Personnel Management reported.

The office said the number of unprocessed claims stood at 17,719 – 4,523 fewer than had been projected. The faster pace of reducing the backlog occurred as the office reinstated some overtime for staff members working on the project. Retirees receive only a small portion of their benefits until their applications are processed.

All overtime for processing claims had been ended in April because of the sequestration imposed by Congress. A budget review allowed the restoration of some overtime. Also, about 2,600 fewer applications were submitted than expected.