Free OPM, TSP, and SSA Resources vs. a Federal Retiree Death Claims Guide: What's the Difference?

If you're weighing whether free government websites cover everything you need after a federal retiree's death, here's the honest answer: the forms are free, and each agency publishes its own instructions. What's missing is the connection between agencies. OPM handles pensions. OFEGLI handles life insurance. TSP.gov handles savings. SSA handles Social Security. FEHB handles health coverage. Each one tells you about itself. None of them tells you about the others, warns you about the timing traps, or puts the process into a sequence.

A claims guide costs $29. The question isn't whether you can file for free — you can. The question is whether you'll file correctly and on time when you're grief-stricken, unfamiliar with the system, and managing claims across several federal systems during the first 90 days after a death.

What Each Free Resource Covers

OPM (opm.gov/retirement-center/survivor-benefits/)

OPM's survivor benefits page explains who qualifies for a FERS or CSRS survivor annuity, the nine-month marriage requirement, and how to complete SF 3104 (FERS) or SF 2800 (CSRS). The forms themselves are downloadable PDFs.

What OPM doesn't cover:

• Treasury reclamation — the automated bank account clawback under 31 CFR Part 210 that hits within days of a reported death. OPM's website doesn't mention it because it's a Treasury process, but it's the first financial shock most families face.
• FEGLI claim filing — the life insurance claim goes to OFEGLI (a contractor, MetLife), not to OPM. OPM's survivor page doesn't walk you through Form FE-6.
• TSP beneficiary claims — TSP is administered by the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, not OPM.
• Social Security — a separate agency with its own filing process, especially relevant after the GPO repeal.
• How these claims interact and what sequence to file them in.

TSP.gov

The TSP website explains the beneficiary designation process, Form TSP-17, and the options available to surviving spouses (Beneficiary Participant Account, rollover, distribution). It's well-organized for its own scope.

What TSP.gov doesn't cover:

• OPM survivor annuity filing
• How the TSP payout interacts with survivor annuity timing
• FEGLI, FEHB/PSHB, Social Security, or Treasury reclamation
• Tax basis recovery under IRS Publication 721

SSA.gov

Social Security's website has been updated for the GPO repeal (Social Security Fairness Act, H.R. 82, January 5, 2025). It explains survivor benefits eligibility and the application process.

What SSA.gov doesn't cover:

• How the repeal specifically affects CSRS retiree survivors who never applied
• That non-applicants must file a new claim by phone (the repeal isn't automatic for them)
• Any other federal retirement benefit — pensions, life insurance, health coverage, TSP

FEHB/PSHB (OPM, buried in 5 CFR Part 890)

Health coverage continuation rules are published in federal regulations, not in plain language. The rules: coverage continues for the surviving spouse only if the retiree elected a survivor annuity AND the spouse was enrolled in Self Plus One or Self and Family.

What the regulations don't tell you clearly:

• That if no survivor annuity is payable, FEHB/PSHB coverage ends on the last day of the month of death; TCC can be elected within 60 days
• The specific steps for electing Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC)
• How PSHB (the Postal Service Health Benefits Program, effective January 2025) changes the rules for postal retiree survivors
• That TCC lasts up to 36 months at 102% of the full premium, including the 2% administrative charge

Side-by-Side Comparison

The Three Gaps That Cost Families Time

The free resources work fine for a single-agency claim. If you only need to file for the TSP, TSP.gov is adequate. If you only need the survivor annuity, OPM's website gets you started. The problems emerge when you're filing across all of them simultaneously.

Gap 1: Treasury reclamation. No government website explains this clearly to survivors. Under 31 CFR Part 210, Treasury reclaims pension deposits made after the date of death via automated ACH reversal. The money comes out of the retiree's bank account — and if it's a joint account, the surviving spouse's operating funds can be frozen or overdrawn. A claims guide warns you before it hits and explains how to protect your cash flow.

Gap 2: The sequence. Free resources don't tell you that reporting the death to OPM triggers the Treasury reclamation, that FEGLI and TSP claims can run in parallel with the survivor annuity, or that Social Security must be filed by phone for non-applicants. Without the sequence, families either miss deadlines or waste time filing things in the wrong order.

Gap 3: The health coverage cliff. FEHB/PSHB continuation is tied to the survivor annuity election the retiree made at retirement — often decades ago. If the retiree elected no survivor annuity (which required spousal consent on SF 3107-2 for FERS or SF 2801-2 for CSRS), coverage ends on the last day of the month of death. TCC may be elected within 60 days; the 31-day temporary extension of coverage is separate from that election period. Free resources mention the rule but don't map the alternatives in plain language.

Who Should Use Free Resources Only

• People who already understand the federal retirement system (retired federal employees managing their own spouse's claims)
• Situations where only one benefit is at stake (TSP-only claims, for example)
• Federal HR professionals or benefits counselors who work with these forms regularly

Who Should Consider a Claims Guide

• Surviving spouses who need multiple federal systems in one document
• Adult children managing claims for a parent — especially if you've never dealt with federal retirement benefits
• Anyone handling claims in the first 90 days after a death who wants to file correctly on the first pass
• Families concerned about Treasury reclamation, health coverage termination, or FEGLI reduction surprises
• Former spouses navigating COAP claims alongside standard survivor benefits

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the government forms really free?

Yes. Every form — SF 3104, SF 2800, FE-6, TSP-17, SF 1153 — is free to download from the issuing agency's website. A claims guide doesn't replace the forms; it explains how to complete them correctly and in what order. The forms are the raw materials. The guide is the instruction manual.

If I use a claims guide, do I still need the government websites?

Yes. You'll download forms from OPM and TSP, report the death through OPM's portal or phone line, and file for Social Security through SSA. The guide doesn't replace the agencies — it tells you which agency to contact, when, with what documents, and what to ask. Think of it as the map; the agencies are the destinations.

What's the actual risk of filing without a guide?

The most common consequence is delay. A missing attachment on SF 3104 can delay OPM adjudication for months. An unfiled Social Security claim leaves money on the table indefinitely. An unprepared Treasury reclamation can freeze a joint bank account. Missing the 60-day TCC election period can forfeit that continuation option. None of these are catastrophic, but each one costs time or money that could have been avoided with the right information at the right moment.

Is a claims guide biased because it's trying to sell itself?

Fair question. The test is whether the guide tells you things the free resources don't — and whether those things are accurate. Treasury reclamation is real (31 CFR Part 210). FEGLI post-65 reductions are real (2% per month from age 65 to 25% of face value). FEHB termination upon death without a survivor annuity election is real (5 CFR Part 890). If the guide explains these and the free resources don't, the value is in the synthesis, not the sales pitch.

The Survivor Claims Blueprint puts every agency, every form, and every deadline into one document — the unified roadmap the free government resources never provide.

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