FERS Child Survivor Annuity: Eligibility, 2026 Rates, and the Social Security Offset

Who Qualifies for a Child Survivor Annuity

When a FERS employee dies in service with at least 18 months of creditable civilian service, eligible children are entitled to a statutory survivor annuity from OPM. The eligibility rules are strict:

• Unmarried and under age 18
• Unmarried and under age 22 if enrolled full-time at an accredited school (high school, college, or university)
• Any age if the child became disabled and incapable of self-support before turning 18

"Children" includes biological children, legally adopted children, and stepchildren who were members of the employee's household at the time of death. It does not include grandchildren unless they were legally adopted.

2026 Monthly Rates

OPM adjusts child annuity rates every December based on the CSRS Cost-of-Living Adjustment. For deaths occurring December 1, 2025, through November 30, 2026 (per OPM Benefits Administration Letter 26-101):

Child with a surviving parent who was married to the employee:

• Single child: $692 per month
• Three or more children: $2,076 per month divided equally among all eligible children

Orphaned child (no surviving parent who was married to the employee):

• Single child: $830 per month
• Three or more children: $2,492 per month divided equally among all eligible children

With two eligible children and a living parent, each child receives the lesser of $692 or half of $2,076 ($1,038) — so each gets $692. The family cap only bites when there are three or more eligible children.

The Social Security Offset That Usually Zeros the Payment

Here's the part that catches most families off guard: under 5 U.S.C. § 8443, the FERS child survivor annuity is reduced dollar-for-dollar by any Social Security survivor benefits payable to that child based on the deceased employee's earnings record.

Since most FERS employees paid into Social Security throughout their careers, the Social Security child benefit typically exceeds the FERS annuity rate. A child receiving $1,800 per month from Social Security would see their $692 FERS annuity reduced to $0.

This is not a bug — it's how the law was designed. FERS was built to integrate with Social Security, and the child annuity was meant as a backstop for cases where Social Security coverage is minimal or absent.

Why You Still Need to File With OPM

Even when the offset reduces the FERS payment to zero, you should still file SF 3104 with OPM to establish the child's entitlement. Two reasons:

1. Social Security benefits can end early. If a child later qualifies as a full-time student before age 22, a FERS annuity could become payable even if Social Security stopped earlier. Without a filed claim, OPM may not have the information needed to determine eligibility.

2. Social Security amounts can change. If SSA adjusts the child's benefit downward for any reason, the FERS annuity fills the gap. But only if OPM has a claim on file.

Filing costs nothing. Skipping it leaves money on the table if circumstances change.

CSRS Children Follow Similar Rules

If the deceased employee was under CSRS rather than FERS, child annuity rates and eligibility rules are nearly identical. The key difference: CSRS child annuities are not offset by Social Security benefits, because CSRS employees generally didn't pay into Social Security. That makes the CSRS child annuity a real, additive payment rather than a backstop.

How to File

The FERS child's annuity is claimed through SF 3104, the same application the surviving spouse uses for the BEDB and spousal survivor annuity. A CSRS child's claim uses SF 2800. If the child is a minor, the surviving parent or legal guardian files on the child's behalf. Include the child's birth certificate, Social Security number, and — if applicable — proof of full-time student status or disability.

The Survivor's Death Benefits & Claims Guide walks through the SF 3104 section by section, including the child-specific questions that determine annuity entitlement and the documentation OPM requires for student and disabled-child extensions.

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