Author: Ray Kirk, Ph.D., Federal Benefits Specialist

The death of a family member is an incredibly stressful time. Added to that stress is the responsibility to notify the various agencies that pay benefits to the deceased annuitant. Timely notification is important to help avoid overpayments and to expedite potential survivor benefits. This process can be complicated since most FERS annuitants and many CSRS annuitants receive monthly benefits from multiple sources, including the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Social Security Administration (SSA), and the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). Each agency has its own notification procedures, and they do not share information. This article outlines the procedures for notifying OPM, SSA, and TSP.

Basic Information Needed

OPM, SSA, and TSP all require the same basic information. It is important for family members to know where to find this information. It is a good idea to make a list of this information and keep it with your other important papers. Having the information available will help the processing go as smoothly as possible. Keeping a copy of this article with the information might also be helpful.

Basic Information

• Full legal name of the deceased
• Date of death
• Date of birth
• Mailing address
• Social Security number
• OPM Account number (starting CSA for a retired employee or CSF for a person receiving survivor benefits)
• TSP account number
• Marital status at time of death. If married, the surviving spouse’s name
• Certified copy of Death Certificate

How to Report a Death to OPM

To report the death of a Federal employee or retiree, you can:

• Complete an online Report of Death form on the OPM website. Survivor Benefits
• Call the Retirement Information Office on 888-767-6738, Monday through Friday, 7:40 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST/EDT.

When reporting the death, you should provide:

• Full legal name of the deceased
• Date of death
• Date of birth
• Mailing address
• CSA or CSF claim number
• Social Security number
• Names and addresses of survivors, so OPM can send information about potential death benefits.

If the deceased was a current Federal employee, contact the employing agency directly to report the death as well.

OPM will send a packet to survivors with an Application for Death Benefits and a FEGLI (life insurance) Claim for Death Benefits.

How to Report a Death to Social Security

Funeral homes notify Social Security when someone dies, so you typically do not need to make the report yourself. Funeral homes will also be able to provide copies of the Certified Death Certificate.

If a funeral home is not involved or does not report the death, you should call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213.

When reporting the death, you should provide:

• Full legal name of the deceased
• Date of death
• Date of birth
• Social Security number

Reporting a Participant’s Death to the TSP

When a TSP participant dies while actively employed, the employing agency notifies the TSP. Survivors can also report the death—whether the participant was employed, separated, or held a beneficiary participant account—by calling the ThriftLine Service Center at 1-877-968-3778.

When reporting the death, you should provide:

• Full legal name of the deceased
• Date of death
• Date of birth
• Mailing address
• Last four digits of the participant’s Social Security number (not required, but helpful)
• Marital status at time of death. If married, the surviving spouse’s name
• Certified Death Certificate

You can find more detailed information in TSP booklet Death Benefits. tspbk31.pdf

Collecting the needed information in advance, putting it in an accessible place, and then letting family members know where to find it can help them through a stressful time.

Dr. Ray Kirk is a retired Federal employee with over 40 years of Federal Service, 34 years of which were with the Office of Personnel Management. He was the Manager of the Benefit Officers Training and Development in Retirement Services for the last 12 years of his career. Dr. Kirk was a Federal Benefits instructor for NITP from 2014 through 2022 and continues to be affiliated with NITP providing webinars, newsletters, and special projects.  

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