Six Agencies. One Family. Zero Instructions.
When a federal employee dies while still on the payroll, the surviving family inherits a claims process that spans six separate offices — OPM, OFEGLI/MetLife, TSP, the employing agency, Social Security, and possibly OWCP. Each office has its own forms, its own mailing address, and its own processing clock. None of them coordinates with the others. None of them tells you what to file first.
Agency HR forwards the separation paperwork. But HR does not complete your personal claim forms, does not track your life insurance payout, does not manage your TSP account, and does not file with Social Security. Once HR submits Form SF 2821, you become the project manager of your own benefits — while paying for a funeral, fielding calls from banks, and wondering whether reporting the death will cancel your family's health insurance.
The Survivor's Claims Sequencing System puts every claim in the order it needs to happen, matches every form to the right office, and tells you exactly what each submission should trigger — so silence becomes a signal, not a mystery.
What the Guide Covers
- The six-channel claims map — a single reference showing every form, every filing office, and every expected processing timeline, so you never mail the wrong form to the wrong address
- FERS Basic Employee Death Benefit (BEDB) walkthrough — the current 2026 formula, the lump-sum vs. 36-installment decision, and a section-by-section guide to completing SF 3104
- FEGLI life insurance claim (FE-6) — the step-by-step filing process, why submitting SF 2823 after death generates months of silence, and how to route the claim correctly through OFEGLI
- TSP death benefit claim — reporting the death through the online portal, setting up a Beneficiary Participant Account, and understanding spousal vs. non-spousal distribution options
- Unpaid compensation (SF 1153) — claiming the final paycheck and accrued annual leave through the agency payroll office, typically the fastest federal payment
- FEHB and PSHB health insurance continuation — the eligibility rules, the 31-day temporary extension, and the new Postal Service Health Benefits Program requirements for postal survivors
- Social Security survivor benefits after the GPO repeal — what the Social Security Fairness Act means for federal widows and widowers, and why "never-applicants" must file a new claim with SSA
- OWCP death benefits — the FECA compensation rates, the dual-benefit election between OWCP and FERS, and when to file Form CA-5
- Master claims tracking register — a single-page tracker for every submission date, case number, follow-up date, and payment status across all six channels
- 7 standalone printable worksheets — BEDB and annuity calculation worksheet, FEGLI payout estimator, designation vs. claim form reference chart, 30-day action timeline, document collection checklist, and agency communication log
Who This Guide Is For
- Surviving spouses who received the agency HR packet and need to know which forms to complete, in what order, and where to send each one
- Adult children and executors who are managing the claims process because the surviving spouse is unable to, or because the employee was single
- Former spouses with a court order who need to verify that OPM has a valid Court Order Acceptable for Processing (COAP) before the current spouse or estate settles all benefits
- Families who already submitted forms and heard nothing — the guide explains the most common cause of silence (submitting a designation form instead of a claim form) and the corrective steps
Why Free Resources Fall Short
The government forms are free. The instructions that come with them are not wrong — they are incomplete. OPM's website explains the retirement death benefit. OFEGLI explains FEGLI claims. TSP.gov explains TSP beneficiary accounts. Social Security explains survivor benefits. But no single source explains how these programs interact, which one to file first for the fastest cash flow, or what happens when you submit the wrong form and hear nothing for three months.
Meanwhile, the financial advisory industry treats death-in-service claims as a lead-generation opportunity. The free content you find on retirement planning sites is designed to sell you a wealth management retainer — not to walk you through the SF 3104 line by line.
Reddit threads and federal employee forums share genuine peer support, but they routinely cite outdated information: pre-2025 death benefit figures, paper TSP forms that no longer exist, and — most dangerously — Government Pension Offset reductions that were repealed by the Social Security Fairness Act in January 2025.
This guide is an administrative workflow manual. It does not sell financial products, does not refer you to an adviser, and does not give legal advice. It tells you which form to file, where to mail it, what response to expect, and what to do when the response does not come.
Satisfaction Guarantee
Full refund, no time limit. If the guide does not help you navigate the claims process, email [email protected] and you will receive a complete refund — no questions, no deadline.
Get Started Today
Download the free First 30 Days Claims Checklist to see how the claims sequencing system works. When you are ready for the complete guide — every form walkthrough, every filing office, every tracking tool — get the full Survivor's Death Benefits & Claims Guide for .