United States 

Office of 

Personnel Management 

The Federal Government’s Human Resources Agency

Benefits Administration Letter 

Number: 09-102 Date: May 26, 2009 

Subject: Information to Agencies to Improve Survivor Claim Processing 

upon the Death of a Federal Employee

OPM has experienced a high percentage of cases (currently around 60 percent) that 

require development prior to authorizing a survivor annuity payment or lump sum 

payment upon the death of a Federal employee. We request your help to reduce the 

processing time it takes to adjudicate survivor claims in death-in-service cases to less 

than 30 days after the employee’s death. To achieve this goal, we have prepared this 

Benefits Administration Letter (BAL). This BAL supplements the information 

provided in BAL 00-105, dated May 10, 2000, titled “New Procedures to Expedite 

Payments to Spouses of Federal Employees Who Have Died.” Complete and 

accurate documentation is essential for OPM to adjudicate benefits to survivors in a 

timely manner. 

OPM and the Department of Navy (DoN) worked together to develop procedures and 

checklists to ensure the necessary documentation is complete before forwarding to the 

appropriate office for processing of payments. By appropriate office, we mean OPM, 

the Office of Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (OFEGLI), and Federal 

Retirement Thrift Board. We found that DoN’s procedures are very helpful and 

would like to share this information with all agencies via this BAL. We have taken 

DoN’s internal forms and checklists and have generalized them for your use. We are 

aware there will be variations based on your specific agency’s requirements. We are 

not requiring agencies to use these procedures. However, we believe these guidelines 

can be used by agencies to better assist the deceased employee’s survivor(s) during 

this time of need, as well as providing OPM (and other entities) with the necessary 

information to expedite payment to the respective survivor(s). 

Attachment 1 provides General Instructions for use by the agency specialist upon the 

death of a Federal employee. This includes preparing documentation for OPM, 

OFEGLI and the Federal Retirement Thrift Board for processing. 
Attachment 2 is a Summary of Benefits. This Summary is a checklist of information 

and documentation identifying the different types of benefits potentially payable to 

the survivor(s). The agency specialist should “check-off” the items appropriate for 

the survivor, enclose the necessary forms and forward to the survivor(s). 

Attachment 3 is the Preliminary Information to OFEGLI Regarding the Death of an 

Employee 

Attachment 4 is the Election Regarding Method of Payment for Unpaid 

Compensation 

Attachment 5 is the Quick-Pay Worksheet for Employee Death in Service 

Attachment 6 is the Employee Death Case Summary

Our hope is that these documents will serve as models for agencies to utilize upon the 

death of a Federal employee. If you or the survivor needs further assistance, please 

contact OPM’s Retirement Operations Center at (724) 794-2005. Thank you for your 

continued support! 

 

 Kathleen M. McGettigan 

 Deputy Associate Director 

 Division of Human Resources 

 Products & Services Division 

 

Attachment 1 (General Instructions) 

Attachment 2 (Summary of Benefits) 

Attachment 3 (Preliminary Info to OFEGLI Regarding the Death of an Employee) 

Attachment 4 (Election Regarding Method of Payment for Unpaid Compensation)

Attachment 5 (Quick-Pay Worksheet for Employee Death in Service) 

Attachment 6 (Employee Death Case Summary) 

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