How to File Federal Retiree Survivor Claims Across OPM, FEGLI, TSP, and SSA Without a Financial Adviser

You don't need a financial adviser to file federal retiree death claims. Every filing — OPM survivor annuity, FEGLI life insurance, TSP beneficiary claim, Social Security survivor benefits, and health coverage continuation — is an administrative process with published forms and documented requirements. What you need isn't professional representation. What you need is the right sequence and the right documents for each agency.

The reason people think they need professional help is that the process spans multiple federal systems, each with its own forms and documentation requirements, and some deadlines are time-sensitive. No single agency tells you about the others. OPM handles the pension but doesn't mention Treasury reclamation. The TSP website explains beneficiary accounts but doesn't connect them to survivor annuity timing. Social Security has been updated for the GPO repeal, but most financial adviser content hasn't.

Here's how the claims process works when you file it yourself.

The Claims Sequence: Which Agency to File With First

The order matters because some claims depend on others, and one agency's clawback can disrupt your cash flow before you've even started filing.

Days 1–3: Report the Death to OPM

Call OPM's Retirement Information Office at 1-888-767-6738 or use the online death reporting form at opm.gov/ReportDeath. You'll need the retiree's full legal name, date of birth, Social Security Number, CSA claim number, and date of death. OPM creates a "CSF" survivor claim file number and mails a claims package containing SF 3104 (FERS) or SF 2800 (CSRS), plus Form FE-6 for the FEGLI claim.

Days 1–5: Protect Against Treasury Reclamation

This is the step most families miss. Under 31 CFR Part 210, the U.S. Treasury automatically reclaims any pension deposits made after the date of death. The clawback is an automated ACH reversal — it hits the retiree's bank account directly, and if the account is joint, it can freeze or overdraft your operating funds.

Before the reclamation arrives, make sure you have enough funds in a separate account to cover immediate expenses. You cannot prevent the reclamation, but you can prepare for it.

Weeks 2–4: File the Survivor Annuity Application

When OPM's claims package arrives, complete SF 3104 and SF 3104B (FERS) or SF 2800 (CSRS). Required attachments include:

• Certified death certificate (raised seal; standard photocopies can delay processing)
• Certified marriage certificate
• Proof of termination of all prior marriages for both you and the retiree (final divorce decrees or death certificates of prior spouses)
• A copy of the retiree's last annuity statement (the December annual summary is ideal)

Missing documents can delay OPM adjudication for months. Gather them all before mailing the application.

Weeks 2–4: File the FEGLI Claim (FE-6)

The FEGLI life insurance claim is separate from the survivor annuity. File Form FE-6 with the Office of Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (OFEGLI), not with OPM. One thing to calculate before filing: if the retiree elected Post-Retirement Basic FEGLI with 75% Reduction, the benefit has been decreasing by 2% per month since age 65, down to a floor of 25% of the original face value. The actual payout may be significantly lower than the coverage amount you remember.

Option B (Additional) coverage also reduces under its elected post-retirement schedule. Option C (Family) covers a retiree's spouse or children; the retiree claims it if a covered family member dies.

Month 1–2: File TSP-17 for the Thrift Savings Plan

Submit Form TSP-17 (Application for Thrift Savings Plan Death Benefits) through the TSP Life Events Hub or to the TSP recordkeeper. As a surviving spouse, you have options the TSP website explains: leave the money in a Beneficiary Participant Account, roll it over to a traditional or Roth IRA, or take a distribution.

The TSP claim is independent of the survivor annuity — you can file it whether or not you're eligible for a monthly survivor annuity from OPM.

Month 1–3: File for Social Security Survivor Benefits

Call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 to file for survivor benefits. This step is especially important if the retiree was CSRS: the Government Pension Offset was repealed on January 5, 2025 by the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82). If you never applied for Social Security survivor benefits because GPO would have reduced them to zero, you must file a new claim — SSA does not apply the repeal automatically for non-applicants.

Even for FERS retirees, filing for Social Security survivor benefits is a separate claim that runs in parallel with the OPM process.

Ongoing: Confirm Health Coverage Continuation

Your FEHB or PSHB health coverage continues only if two conditions are met: a monthly survivor annuity is payable, and you were enrolled in a Self Plus One or Self and Family plan at the time of death. If both are true, your coverage converts to Self Only when the survivor annuity begins.

If no survivor annuity is payable, coverage ends on the last day of the month of death. You may elect Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC) via Form SF-2809 within 60 days; it can continue for up to 36 months at 102% of the full premium. Conversion to a private health plan is another option.

What a Financial Adviser Actually Does (and Doesn't Do)

Financial advisers specialize in investment management and retirement income planning. After a federal retiree's death, they can help with:

• Deciding whether to roll over or distribute the TSP
• Tax implications of survivor annuity income
• Overall financial planning for the surviving spouse

What they typically don't do:

• File OPM forms (SF 3104, SF 2800, SF 1153)
• Handle FEGLI claims or explain post-65 reduction calculations
• Warn about Treasury reclamation timing
• Manage FEHB/PSHB continuation paperwork
• Walk through Social Security filing for newly eligible survivors post-GPO repeal

The administrative claims process — the part that has deadlines and consequences — is exactly the part most financial advisers aren't equipped for. They're trained to manage money, not to navigate multi-agency government forms.

Who This Approach Is For

• Surviving spouses comfortable following structured written instructions
• Adult children or estate executors managing claims for an aging parent
• Anyone who wants to control the timeline and paperwork directly
• Families where the estate is straightforward (no contested beneficiaries, no disputed court orders)

Who Should Consider Professional Help Instead

• Survivors whose situation involves a former spouse with a Court Order Acceptable for Processing (COAP) — the legal dispute needs an attorney, not a financial adviser
• Families where the retiree's estate includes significant non-federal assets requiring probate
• Survivors with insurable interest designations or unusual beneficiary arrangements

Even in these cases, professional help is usually needed for the legal issue specifically — not for the administrative claims process, which runs independently.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the most common reason people think they need a financial adviser for this?

The multi-agency complexity. When you're facing OPM, OFEGLI, the TSP, Social Security, and FEHB/PSHB all at once, it feels like you need a professional to coordinate everything. In reality, the coordination is administrative — it's a sequencing problem, not a financial planning problem. A claims guide provides the sequence; a financial adviser helps with what to do after the money arrives.

What happens if I make a mistake on an OPM form?

OPM returns the form for correction, which adds time to the adjudication process. The most common errors are missing attachments (no certified death certificate, no marriage certificate, no proof of prior marriage terminations), incorrect form versions, and math errors on benefit calculations. These aren't mistakes that require professional intervention — they're errors a line-by-line guide prevents.

Can I file all these claims simultaneously?

Yes, and you should where possible. The OPM survivor annuity, FEGLI claim, TSP claim, and Social Security filing can all proceed in parallel. They go to different agencies with different forms. The health coverage confirmation depends on the survivor annuity eligibility, but you can verify the coverage status while the annuity application is processing.

How much does a financial adviser charge for help with federal retiree death claims?

Fee-only advisers typically charge $200 to $500 per hour. A session focused on federal death benefits might run 2 to 4 hours ($400 to $2,000). Most of that time would be spent on the TSP rollover decision and tax implications — not on the OPM, FEGLI, or Social Security claims process, which the adviser would likely leave to you anyway.

Should I wait for OPM's claims package before doing anything?

No. Report the death to OPM immediately. Prepare for Treasury reclamation immediately. Gather your documents (death certificates, marriage certificate, divorce decrees) immediately. When OPM's package arrives — typically 2 to 4 weeks after the death — you'll be ready to complete and return it without delay.

The Survivor Claims Blueprint walks you through every filing, every form, and every deadline in the sequence — designed for families handling the process themselves.

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