How to Report a Federal Retiree Death to OPM

Three Ways to Report the Death

OPM accepts death notifications through three channels. The fastest option is reporting online.

Online — Submit a report through the OPM Report of Death portal at opm.gov/ReportDeath. This is the quickest method and triggers the claims process immediately.

By phone — Call OPM's Retirement Customer Service Center at 1-888-767-6738 (Monday through Friday, 7:40 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern). Washington, D.C. callers can use 202-606-0500 instead. Have the following information ready:

• Retiree's full legal name
• Date of birth
• Social Security number
• Civil Service Annuity (CSA) claim number (found on OPM correspondence, annual COLA notices, or Form CSA 1099-R)
• Date of death
• Your contact information as the reporting person

By mail — Send a written notice to: U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Retirement Operations Center, P.O. Box 45, Boyers, PA 16017-0045. Mail is the slowest option and adds days to the timeline.

What Happens After You Report

Once OPM processes the notification, three things happen in sequence:

OPM stops the annuity. The pension terminates on the exact date of death. Because annuities are paid in arrears — the deposit that hits the bank on the first business day of a month covers the previous month — any payment deposited after the death date is unearned.

Treasury reclaims the overpayment. The Department of the Treasury sends a Notice of Reclamation to the bank under 31 CFR Part 210, debiting the post-death deposit directly from the account. This is automatic and often catches families off guard. Leave the deposit untouched in any joint account — withdrawing it triggers debt collection proceedings.

OPM mails the claims package. OPM assigns a CSF (Civil Service File) claim number and sends a packet containing the survivor annuity application (SF 3104 for FERS or SF 2800 for CSRS) and information about filing FEGLI life insurance claims with OFEGLI.

How to Prepare Before Calling

The notification goes faster if you've already gathered key documents:

• 5 to 10 certified death certificates with a raised seal or stamp — OPM, OFEGLI, TSP, SSA, and the bank may each need an original
• The retiree's CSA claim number — check any OPM letter, the annual COLA notice, or Form CSA 1099-R
• A certified marriage certificate if you're the surviving spouse

The Federal Retiree Death Benefits Guide includes a complete document-gathering checklist and walks through the entire claims sequence — OPM notification, Treasury reclamation, survivor annuity application, FEGLI, TSP, health insurance, and Social Security — so nothing falls through the cracks during the first critical weeks.

Don't Wait to Report

Prompt notification matters for two reasons. First, it stops unearned payments from accumulating — each additional month's deposit that Treasury has to reclaim creates more financial disruption in joint accounts. Second, it starts the clock on OPM's survivor annuity processing, which typically takes 60 to 90 days. OPM issues interim "Quick Pay" survivor annuity payments during processing, but those can't begin until the death is on record.

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