Page 1 - Customer Online Tools Informatin Guide for Annuitants- 07/21/2023 -For Public Distribution

Customer Online Tools—Information Guide for Annuitants

DFAS Retired and Annuitant Pay is working hard to communicate better and make your experience with us easier. 

The Retired Military & Annuitants (DFAS.mil) webpage is a great place to start to learn about all of these updates. Our 

main webpage contains useful information to keep you up-to-date on all of the potential changes that could impact your 

pay account with our News and Events section, as well as our Retiree Newsletter. 

The webpage also has helpful links for additional information to keep you connected:

Facebook: Defense Finance and Accounting Service - DFAS | Facebook

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DFAS

askDFAS: Defense Finance and Accounting Service > AskDFAS

myPay: myPay Web Site (https://mypay.dfas.mil)

Form Wizards

We have a Forms section that will allow you to save the forms you need to your home computer. We are also 

developing new form tools to make the process of completing a form easier for you. The Form Wizards “take the form 

out of the form” by walking you through the information needed to help ensure that all necessary fields are completed 

properly. Many of these Form Wizards also have a helpful link to submit the form through askDFAS online upload tools 

for that category of requests.

askDFAS Online Upload Tools 

We are also working on a better way for you to submit your requests. askDFAS is part of the DFAS.mil website. 

askDFAS lets you submit questions for us to answer and now has the ability to accept specific form requests for us to 

process. Simply create an askDFAS ticket and upload the form you want to submit. The DFAS.mil site offers step-by-step 

guides to use askDFAS. Please visit our newly redesigned askDFAS resource page: https://www.dfas.mil/askDFAS

Status Notifications

When you submit certain requests, DFAS will send email status notifications that will keep you updated on the 

progress of your request. The email notifications will provide better communication to you and assure you that your 

request was received and will be processed. We will send you updates when we receive your request, when the request

is assigned, and when the request has been completed. 

myPay

You can also make changes to your account using myPay. myPay is an innovative, automated system that puts you 

in control of processing certain discretionary pay data items without using paper forms. You can also get your pay and

tax statements using myPay.

• myPay saves time - myPay eliminates the need to call, write letters, or fill out forms by letting you make your own

changes with user-friendly technology.

• myPay is convenient - You can access myPay nearly 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to change or review your current 

information, or to check your most recent pay statement.

• myPay is reliable - The information you input transfers directly to our pay system.
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What is askDFAS? 

askDFAS is part of the www.DFAS.mil website providing responsive services to you. Our site lets you request 

support byasking questions, requesting tax documents, and now, sending us forms to process for your pay account.

Submit Your Forms in askDFAS!

Retired and Annuitant Pay developed a set of user-friendly online upload tools to allow you to submit forms and 

requests faster and easier. Individual category requests can now be submitted via the Helpful Online askDFAS Upload

Tools located on www.DFAS.mil.

The new askDFAS online upload tools were established to improve the way requests are submitted and eliminate 

the time sending requests through mail or fax. You can now send your forms as PDFs from your home computer.

To send us a form/documentation, simply click on the Submit A Ticket button on the askDFAS homepage. You will 

then click on the arrows next to Retired Pay Form Submission. A list of forms will appear, with all of the upload tools 

available. If your request does not match any of the specific subcategories, you may upload the file(s) to the new 

General Retiree Documentation subcategory.

• Look for the askDFAS icon at the top of the DFAS.mil webpage to get started or use the link below.

• Learn more about askDFAS: https://www.dfas.mil/askDFAS (click on Retirees and Annuitants) 

• Try askDFAS: https://corpweb1.dfas.mil/askDFAS/custMain.action?mid=12

How does the submission process work?

You can submit a request by creating an askDFAS ticket and attaching your form or documentation as a PDF to the

ticket. When you complete and submit the ticket, the documentation will then be uploaded to our system for 

processing.

You will receive an automated email confirming your ticket was created with a link to view your ticket in the future.

How long does it take?

Once you submit your request, it will take up to 3 business days to be available in our processing system. We can 

process a typical request in 30-60 days if we have all of the required information once received.

What is the benefit of submitting requests via askDFAS?

We are working hard to make it as easy as possible for you to submit a request. With the new online upload tools, 

we are trying to stop the need for you to leave your home to go to the post office or to find a fax machine.

What if my request is not listed as an option in askDFAS?

If the current list of upload tool options is not available in askDFAS, please use the new General SBP Annuitant

Documentation subcategory found within the Retired Pay Form Submission category of askDFAS.
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Email Status Notifications

Email Status notifications are here! For certain requests, DFAS will send status notifications with progress updates 

on your requests.We will send you updates when:

1. We receive your request

2. We assign your request for review and processing

3. We complete the review, in which case you will be notified either that:

a. We received all information needed and your request was completed; or

b. We were not able to complete your request, in which case we will mail you a letter requesting additional 

information.

There are 2 ways to receive notifications:

1. For most askDFAS online upload tools within the Retired Pay Form Submission category, if you send a form to us 

using askDFAS, we will send updates to you using the email address provided on the askDFAS ticket you

submitted.

2. For many transaction types, if you send a form or request to us using fax or mail, we will send updates to you 

using the email address registered in your myPay account. You can review and update your email address in 

myPay at any time. https://myPay.dfas.mil
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Visit the Retired Military and Annuitant Website!

https://www.dfas.mil/rapay

Here you can find important information to keep you up-to-date and to answer questions you may have.

R&A Pay - Find out more about who we are and what we do 

https://www.dfas.mil/RetiredMilitary/about/aboutus/

We serve a community of 2.9 million military retirees and their eligible surviving annuitants. Our commitment is 

to pay our customers on time and accurately, every time. We strive to do this with the highest levels of integrity, 

customer service and friendliness.

Read our Survivor SBP Newsletter!

https://www.dfas.mil/survivornews

Stay informed by reading our twice-yearly Survivor SBP newsletter! Here you will find important information to 

keep you up-to-date on all of the changes happening. The newsletter includes important information that will help 

you prepare when you need to take action. We also include the enhancements we have implemented to assist you

with your annuity pay account.

Forms Available 

https://www.dfas.mil/raforms

We have the forms you need all in one place. The Forms Library provides a categorized list of forms with a 

description of each form.

When clicking on a form and it does not automatically open in your browser, you will need to either download or 

save a copy to your personal computer. Go to the location in which you saved the form, and open it from there. Click 

on Enable ALL Features and the form will open.

Form Wizards – Taking the form out of the form! 

https://www.dfas.mil/raforms

R&A Pay is working to develop new form tools to help you fill out and submit required forms correctly and more 

easily. The Form Wizards offer step-by-step instructions to fill out the form and making sure no important information 

is missed. 

Use myPay to your advantage 

https://myPay.dfas.mil

myPay is a user-friendly way to manage your pay account. You can easily manage your account using the web 

browser on your computer or with a connected device like your smartphone or tablet.

If you’re not yet using myPay, it’s easy to get started. We have a handy step-by-step, downloadable “Get Started 

with myPay” guide available at: https://www.dfas.mil/managesbp. 

How long does it take to process a request?

https://www.dfas.mil/rahowlong

We work hard to process your requests accurately and promptly. R&A Pay offers processing timeframes based on 

your request. We can process a typical request in 30 – 60 days if we have all required information. 
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Question About Managing Your SBP Annuity Pay Account?

Manage Your SBP Annuity 

https://www.dfas.mil/managesbp

Find out what you need to know to manage your SBP annuity payments on our “Manage Your SBP Annuity” 

webpage. 

It’s very important that you keep your contact information up to date so we can reach you with important news 

and documents. 

Annuitant Eligibility Verifications

https://www.dfas.mil/managesbp

SBP annuitants need to verify their continued eligibility regularly to receive SBP annuity payments. There are 

several types of verification. See the verification requirements on the “Manage Your SBP Annuity,” webpage where 

you can also download the SBP Annuitant Eligibility Verification Requirements Fact Sheet:

Child SBP Annuitants Age 18-22 School Certifications

https://www.dfas.mil/schoolcerts

A child's eligibility to receive SBP payments ends when the child turns 18 unless proven to be in school or 

incapacitated/incapable of self-support and/or handling their own affairs. If a child annuitant attends school full-time 

(in high school or at an accredited college or university), the SBP annuity payments can continue until they reach age 

22 or otherwise become ineligible. SBP child annuitants between 18 and 22 years old must regularly certify their status 

as an unmarried, full-time student to continue to receive annuity payments.
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Use myPay to Manage Your SBP Annuity Pay Account

It’s easy to get started with myPay. https://myPay.dfas.mil

What is myPay?

myPay is a user-friendly way to manage your pay account. You can easily manage your account using the web 

browser on your computer or with a connected device like your smartphone or tablet. myPay is an innovative, 

automated system that puts you in control of processing certain discretionary pay data items without using paper 

forms.

Why should I use myPay?

myPay saves time - myPay eliminates the need to call, write letters or fill out forms by letting you make your own 

changes immediately with user-friendly technology. myPay is convenient - You can access myPay nearly 24 hours a 

day, 7 days a week to change or review your current information, or to check your most recent pay statement. myPay 

is reliable – The information you input transfers directly to our pay system.

When is myPay available?

myPay is available nearly 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. myPay has periods of unavailability due to scheduled 

DFAS pay system maintenance windows. Please refer to the System Availability section located on the myPay 

homepage for updates on impacted systems and customers. With myPay, annuitants have the options provided 

below.

Statements and tax documents:

• View/print/save an Annuitant Account Statement

• View/print/save a current year IRS Form 1099-R and up to two prior year 1099-Rs

• View/print/save IRS form 1042S

Annuity Pay account updates:

• Change mailing address or email address

• Change federal tax withholding

• Change Direct Deposit information

myPay account options:

• Set up a Limited Access Account

• Newsletter Alert Notifications - turn on/off

• Tax Statement Alert Notifications - turn on/off

• Change login ID or password for myPay

• Password on Demand for myPay, including online password reset

• Add/Change Mobile Number for receiving text messages

• Manage Two-factor Authentication settings
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What Is a Form Wizard? What Are the Benefits?

The Form Wizards “take the form out of the form” by having the annuitant answer a series of questions. Once the

questions are answered, the wizard automatically places the answers in the correct areas of the form and generates a 

ready-to-print PDF of the completed form. Users can also save a PDF of the generated form to their own computer.

Some Form Wizards allow for electronic signature capability. The electronic signature option allows the annuitant

to electronically sign this form in place of a handwritten signature.

Electronic signature makes the process of completing and submitting the form much easier for annuitants 

because they can fill it out, sign it, and authenticate it online and then upload it online to askDFAS on DFAS.mil instead 

of having to print out a form, sign it, and then scan it to upload it online.

Available Form Wizards for annuitants available on https://www.dfas.mil/raforms

 DD 2656-7 Verification For Survivor Annuity

• Note: This form includes the options for electronic signature and a one-click askDFAS button to directly submit the 

form via askDFAS.

 DD 2788 Child Annuitant’s School Certification

• Note: This form includes the options for electronic signature and a one-click askDFAS button to directly submit the 

form via askDFAS.

 DFAS 9415 Representative Payee Certification

• Note: Once this form is generated it must be printed and signed. The completed form can then be uploaded and 

submitted via askDFAS. 

 
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I Want To Upload a Form. How Do I Start?

1. Below is the current list of forms that you can submit directly to askDFAS. Check back often as we continue 

to add more forms to submit.

2. The forms are available on our Forms page and can be saved to your computer. 

https://www.dfas.mil/RetiredMilitary/forms/

3. Once you complete the form, you can send us the form with the matching subcategory option in askDFAS. 

Defense Finance and Accounting Service > AskDFAS

List of annuitant forms available for askDFAS submission within the Retired Pay Form Submission category:

 General SBP Annuitant Documentation

 DD 2656-7 Verification For Survivor Annuity

 Annuitant DOHA Appeal Submission

 DD 2828 Physician Certificate for Child Annuitant 

 DFAS 9415 Representative Payee Certification

List of annuitant forms available for askDFAS submission within the Annuitant Pay Documentation category:

 DD 2788 School Certification

 SBP Marital Status Update (SBP-MSU)

DFAS Forms Webpage

Please note: 

When using Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari to access an Adobe PDF Form on our website, the user initially gets the 

below message. The user must download or save the PDF (by clicking the download icon in the upper right-hand 

corner of the page), then open the PDF in a compatible PDF reader and click the “Enable All Features” button. Then the 

form will be viewable.
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askDFAS Website

Also, if you are using a MAC computer to download a form wizard and are experiencing an issue, please ensure 

you have the proper version of Adobe. Below is the link for the MAC OS version.

https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/install-reader-dc-macos.html#:~:text=You%20need%20macOS%20version%2010.13,Adobe%20Reader%20on%20Mac%20OS