Author: Bob Braunstein, Federal Benefits Specialist

Have you ever considered how much additional income your loved ones might need if you were suddenly gone? Are they aware of their survivor entitlements and have you planned for them financially? Survivor benefit options and elections are numerous and it’s important for you to maintain them, and for your loved ones to know how to claim them.

Survivor benefits should be structured to provide replacement income for those who depend upon yours. They typically are paid as lump sum payments or monthly annuities and can also take the form of inherited retirement accounts like Thrift Savings, 401ks, 403bs and IRAs. Elected survivor annuities also allow non-Federal spouses to continue FEHB coverage without you. Federal employees and retirees can designate beneficiaries for Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI), Unpaid Compensation, Federal retirement pension contributions (withheld from employee pay to fund eventual CSRS and FERS pensions), and their Thrift Savings Plan Accounts.

• While in Federal service, designation forms for life insurance (SF 2823), retirement pension contributions (SF 3102), and Unpaid Compensation (SF 1152) must be maintained in an Official Personnel Folder (usually eOPFs) to be current. To file or otherwise update these forms, new ones must be filed with agency HR offices. The most current versions of these forms can be found at the following links:

Designation of Beneficiary FEGLI – Standard Form 2823 (opm.gov)

Designation of Beneficiary: Civil Service and Federal Employees Retirement      Systems (opm.gov)

SF 1152-030723-4.pdf (opm.gov)

Note that TSP-3s which designate Thrifts Savings Accounts must be on file at the Thrift Board (not in eOPFs); updates and new forms must be completed electronically at www.tsp.gov at “My Account”.

• Retirees continue to maintain FEGLI designations at OPM’s Retirement Office, and TSP designations online at the Thrift Board.

While employees and retirees are responsible for ensuring survivor benefits, it is equally important for survivors to know how and when to claim them. Agency HR offices are responsible for assisting family members and other beneficiaries in filing death claims for deceased Federal employees. The process and form for filing a Federal employee death claim can be found at: OPM Form SF3104B (opm.gov). Survivors of Federal retirees can seek assistance through OPM’s Retirement Office and can file for death benefits with the following application: Applying For Survivor Benefits of Deceased Annuitants (opm.gov)

 The need for survivor benefits varies with time. For example, couples whose combined income contributes to their lifestyle generally maintain more life insurance while they are young and later reduce that coverage when their retirement savings accounts are able to provide necessary replacement income. Life insurance amounts can also be reduced when children finish their education and become self-supporting. And reductions to retirement annuities can also end if the spouses for whom they are elected pass away first.  To address these situations, survivor benefit strategies should be flexible, monitored, and changed to accommodate the needs of survivors whenever they become necessary. They should also be affordable, enabling us to live comfortably while we are here.

Bob Braunstein is a retired Federal employee who was last employed as a Senior Human Resources Consultant with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) at the Department of the Treasury. During his Federal career, he served in a full range of HR positions spanning recruitment, staffing, employee relations, retirement and benefits, and position classification/management disciplines.  He is a retirement and benefits instructor for NITP.

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