SF 2823 vs. FE-6: The FEGLI Forms Survivors Confuse (and Why It Costs Months)
Two Forms, Completely Different Purposes
SF 2823 and FE-6 both relate to FEGLI life insurance, but they serve opposite functions at different points in time. Confusing them is the single most common filing mistake survivors make — and it can stall a life insurance payout for months.
SF 2823 — Designation of Beneficiary (FEGLI). This is the form the employee files while alive to name who should receive the FEGLI proceeds. It goes into the Official Personnel Folder maintained by the employing agency. Filing SF 2823 after the employee has died does nothing — it is a pre-death document only.
Form FE-6 — Claim for Death Benefits Under FEGLI. This is the form the beneficiary files after the employee dies to claim the life insurance proceeds. OFEGLI (the Office of Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance, administered by MetLife) processes the claim. Follow the employing agency's instructions while it prepares SF 2821; once the agency has completed that certification, submit FE-6 to OFEGLI rather than OPM.
The Mistake That Costs Months
When the employing agency's HR office sends the death paperwork packet to the surviving family, it typically includes multiple forms — some of which look similar. A surviving spouse who sees SF 2823 in the packet and fills it out thinking it opens a FEGLI claim has just submitted a beneficiary designation for a deceased person. It accomplishes nothing.
Meanwhile, the actual claim form (FE-6) sits unfiled. OFEGLI has no claim on file, no processing clock has started, and the family waits in silence wondering why the life insurance has not paid.
The reverse error also happens: some survivors mail FE-6 to OPM, thinking all federal benefits go through OPM. OPM does not process FEGLI claims. The form eventually gets redirected to OFEGLI, but the transit time adds weeks to an already stressful timeline.
Where Each Form Goes
| Form | Filed by | Goes to | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| SF 2823 | The employee (while alive) | Employing agency HR | Names who receives FEGLI |
| FE-6 | The beneficiary (after death) | Agency HR while it prepares SF 2821, then OFEGLI / MetLife | Claims the FEGLI payout |
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What FE-6 Requires
Form FE-6 asks for the claimant's identifying information, the deceased employee's name and Social Security number, and the claimant's relationship to the deceased. Attach a certified death certificate — not a photocopy or funeral home preliminary.
The employing agency also needs to prepare and send SF 2821 (Agency Certification of Insurance Status) to OFEGLI separately. SF 2821 certifies what FEGLI coverage the employee had, their salary, and whether the death was accidental. The family does not file SF 2821, but confirming that the agency actually sent it prevents a common silent delay.
OFEGLI mailing address for FE-6: Office of Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance P.O. Box 6080 Scranton, PA 18505
"I Submitted SF 2823 to OPM and Got No Response"
This is a search query that appears frequently, and the answer is almost always the same: you filed the wrong form with the wrong office. OPM does not process FEGLI designations (the agency HR office maintains those), and OPM does not process FEGLI claims (OFEGLI does). An SF 2823 sent to OPM goes into a limbo where no one is expecting it.
If this happened to you:
- File Form FE-6 immediately with OFEGLI at the address above
- Attach a certified death certificate
- Call OFEGLI at 1-800-633-4542 to confirm receipt
- Ask agency HR whether SF 2821 has been sent to OFEGLI
The claim processing clock starts from the date OFEGLI receives a complete FE-6 submission. Once they have FE-6, the death certificate, and the agency's SF 2821, processing typically takes 10 to 14 business days.
The Broader Pattern
This form confusion is not limited to FEGLI. Across all federal death benefit channels, there are designation forms (filed while the employee is alive) and claim forms (filed after death). Mixing them up causes the same problem in every channel:
- FEGLI: SF 2823 (designation) vs. FE-6 (claim)
- TSP: TSP-3 (designation) vs. the TSP Life Events Hub (claim; paper TSP-17 retired)
- FERS contributions: SF 3102 (designation) vs. SF 3104 (claim)
Each one must be filed with the correct office. The Federal Employee Death Benefits Claims Guide maps out every form, every receiving office, and the exact filing sequence to prevent these mix-ups from happening.
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