When a Federal Retiree Dies: The 2026 Survivor Checklist

Last Updated: June 14, 2026 Reading Time: 9 min

When a federal retiree dies, the surviving family has to report the death to OPM, and in 2026 that has become genuinely hard. Callers describe dialing the retirement line, sitting through a long recorded message, and then getting disconnected without ever reaching a person. This is the action checklist for what to do when a federal retiree dies: who to contact, which forms to file, and the traps that cost survivors money.

This is a do-this-now guide, not a benefits explainer. If you want to understand what benefits exist or how much a surviving spouse receives, the companion guides linked below cover that. This page is for the person staring at a phone that won't connect.

Key Takeaways

• Report the death online first at rsreporting.opm.gov/AnnuitantDeath. It's faster than the phone (1-888-767-6738) and creates a timestamped record.
• A federal retiree's death triggers five separate processes at different agencies: OPM annuity, FEGLI life insurance, TSP, Social Security, and FEHB. Each needs its own claim.
• Don't spend any OPM deposit that arrives after the death until you know which month it covers. Payments for any period after the date of death must be returned.
• FEHB does not continue automatically. The surviving spouse keeps it only if a survivor annuity was elected and they were on the plan at death.
• Order 8 to 10 certified copies of the death certificate on day one. Every agency requires its own certified copy.

Step 1: Report the Death to OPM (Online, Not by Phone)

Start here, on day one. Go to rsreporting.opm.gov/AnnuitantDeath. The portal is open to family members, caregivers, and estate representatives, and it works when the phone line doesn't.

You'll need the deceased's claim number:

• CSA number for a retiree (begins with "CSA").
• CSF number for someone who was already receiving a survivor annuity.

You can find this number on their most recent 1099-R, an annual COLA notice, or their retirement benefits booklet. OPM sends an email confirmation and typically responds within 3 to 5 business days.

If you have no claim number and must call, the line is 1-888-767-6738 (TTY 711), open Monday through Friday, 7:40 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET. Federal retirees who've been through this share one consistent tip: call at 7:40 a.m. ET the moment the line opens, and avoid the 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET rush. If you get disconnected, wait about 30 minutes and try again. Email retire@opm.gov as a backup paper trail either way.

Why the delays? OPM Retirement Services lost more than 100 staff in 2025 through deferred resignations and canceled hiring, and the retirement and survivor backlog, while down from its February 2026 peak, still sat near 38,547 cases in May 2026. Survivor claims wait in the same line as everyone else.

Step 2: The Five Processes You Have to Run in Parallel

Here's the part that surprises most families: there is no single "death benefits" office. The retiree's death sets off five distinct claims, and skipping any one of them leaves money unclaimed. This master table is the thing to screenshot and work from.

The two most-missed claims are FEGLI and TSP. Both are separate legal structures from the OPM pension, with their own forms and their own agencies. OPM has no role in paying either one. Families who only deal with OPM routinely leave a life insurance benefit and a TSP balance unclaimed.

Step 3: Don't Touch the Deposit That Arrives After Death

OPM pays annuity on the first business day of each month, and that payment is for the prior month. This arrears schedule is where survivors get tripped up.

• A deposit on June 1 covers May.
• If the retiree died May 20, the June 1 deposit (covering May 1 to 20) is partly owed to the estate and partly owed back.
• If the retiree died April 30, the June 1 deposit (covering all of May) must be returned in full.

The rule is simple even when the math isn't: any payment for a period after the date of death goes back to the Treasury. OPM calculates the exact overpayment and mails a reclamation notice.

What to do:

1. Don't spend any OPM deposit until you know which month it covers.
2. Call the bank right after reporting the death. The bank can flag a pending ACH deposit, though it can't return one without your instruction.
3. When the reclamation notice arrives, it states the overpayment period and repayment options. Respond by the deadline. Recovery is governed by 5 CFR Part 845, and a waiver is possible if the survivor is without fault and repayment would be unfair.
4. If you believe a clawback is wrong (OPM does sometimes reverse a payment that was legitimately owed for the month of death), dispute it in writing with a timeline showing the date of death against the payment period.

Step 4: Protect the Surviving Spouse's FEHB

Many spouses assume health coverage simply continues. It does not. FEHB continues for a surviving spouse only when both of these are true:

1. The retiree elected a survivor annuity (any amount, full or partial, qualifies).
2. The spouse was enrolled on the retiree's FEHB plan (Self Plus One or Self and Family) at the time of death.

If a retiree elected zero survivor annuity, the spouse loses FEHB permanently at death, no matter how many years of service. The fallbacks are Temporary Continuation of Coverage (up to 36 months at full premium plus 2%), an ACA Marketplace special enrollment period, or Medicare at 65.

One practical warning for the gap period: while the survivor annuity is being processed, which in 2026 can stretch across two to four months, the spouse may get FEHB premium bills directly. Pay them. OPM reconciles once the annuity starts. Do not let the coverage lapse over a billing gap.

Step 5: The First Week, Day by Day

• Day 1: Report the death online at rsreporting.opm.gov. Order 8 to 10 certified death certificates. Call the bank about pending deposits.
• Within 1 week: File the TSP claim (Form TSP-17, ThriftLine 1-877-968-3778). File the FEGLI claim (FE-6 to OFEGLI in Scranton, PA). Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213.
• Within 2 to 4 weeks: OPM mails SF 3104 (FERS) or SF 2800 (CSRS). If it hasn't arrived in three weeks, download and submit it directly.
• Within 31 days: Confirm the surviving spouse's FEHB status with the carrier.
• By 2 years: Apply for the Social Security $255 lump-sum death benefit. It expires.
• At 4 weeks with no OPM response: File a congressional inquiry through your U.S. Representative or Senator. Their constituent-services office has direct OPM liaison contacts and can find where a case is stuck. It won't guarantee speed, but it forces a documented response.

Calculate Your Survivor Annuity

If you're trying to plan around the income gap, our free FERS Retirement Calculator helps you estimate the annuity figures behind a survivor benefit, so you can see roughly what the monthly survivor payment will be once OPM finishes processing. Try it now

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I report a federal retiree's death when OPM won't answer the phone?

Report it online first at rsreporting.opm.gov/AnnuitantDeath. You'll need the deceased's CSA number (retirees) or CSF number (survivor annuitants), found on their 1099-R or COLA notice. OPM responds by email within 3 to 5 business days. Email retire@opm.gov as a backup. If you must call 1-888-767-6738, try right at 7:40 a.m. ET when the line opens.

OPM deposited money after my parent died. Can we keep it?

It depends which month it covers. OPM pays on the first business day of the month for the prior month. Any payment for a period after the date of death must be returned to the Treasury, and OPM will issue a reclamation notice for the exact amount. Don't spend any OPM deposit until you know which period it covers.

Do I need separate forms for the pension and the life insurance?

Yes. The OPM survivor annuity uses SF 3104 (FERS) or SF 2800 (CSRS). The FEGLI life insurance uses Form FE-6, sent to OFEGLI/MetLife in Scranton, PA, not to OPM. Missing the separate FEGLI claim is one of the most common and costly survivor errors.

Does the TSP transfer automatically to my spouse?

The TSP goes to whoever is named on Form TSP-3, and that beneficiary designation controls even over a will. A surviving spouse who inherits gets a Beneficiary Participant Account. The TSP still has to be claimed separately by contacting the ThriftLine (1-877-968-3778) and filing Form TSP-17 with a certified death certificate. It's entirely independent of OPM.

What is a congressional inquiry and when should I use it?

It's a formal status request from your U.S. Representative or Senator's office to OPM. It doesn't guarantee faster processing, but it forces OPM to respond and document where your case stands. Use it when OPM is unreachable after four weeks, when survivor payments haven't started after about 12 weeks, or when you've received a reclamation notice you believe is wrong.

Related Resources

• FERS Retirement Calculator: Estimate the annuity figures behind a survivor benefit.
• Federal Employee Death Benefits Guide 2026: What benefits exist and who qualifies.
• FERS Survivor Benefits Spouse Guide 2026: How much a surviving spouse actually receives.

Sources

• OPM: Report an Annuitant's Death
• OPM: Special Notice Regarding Death of Annuitants
• OPM Form FE-6, Claim for Death Benefits (FEGLI)
• TSP: Death and Beneficiary Support
• SSA: Survivors Benefits