Information on Electing a 

Survivor Annuity for 

Your Former Spouse 

Civil Service Retirement System 

(CSRS)
We provide retirement information on the Internet. You w

retirement brochures, forms, and other information at:

www.opm.gov/retirement-services 

You may also communicate with us using email at:

retire@opm.gov 
I. Introduction .......................................................

II. Conditions for Electing a Former-Spouse


Survivor Annuity.........................................

III.	 Court Ordered Benefits and Former-Spouse


Survivor Annuity Elections.........................

IV.	 How Your Annuity Will Be Affected


If You Make an Election.............................

V.	 If You Elect the Maximum Available


Survivor Annuity.........................................

VI.	 Electing Less than the Maximum


Available Survivor Annuity ........................

VII.	 Federal Health Benefits Coverage


for Your Former Spouse .............................

VIII.	 Events that Terminate a Former Spouse’s


Entitlement to Survivor Annuity.................

IX. How to Apply ....................................................

X. If You Decide Not to Provide a Survivor Annu

XI. How to Contact Us ............................................

i 
to elect a survivor annuity benefit for a former spouse. 

former-spouse survivor annuity is a monthly payment t

after your death. 

This pamphlet explains:

� how court-ordered survivor benefits may affect you

� how your annuity will be adjusted to provide surviv

� when we can stop the reduction in your annuity to p

survivor benefits 

� how your former spouse can receive Federal health 

coverage. 

Please do not complete the accompanying election for

read this pamphlet. 

II. Conditions for Electing a Former-Spo

Survivor Annuity

You can provide a survivor annuity if your election is t

Part IX) and (1) you were married to your former spou

9 months, (2) your former spouse has not remarried bef

(3) you have at least 18 months of service subject to civ

retirement deductions. If you and your former spouse w

for 30 years or longer, you may elect your former spou

or she remarried before age 55.

1 
retirement. The election you made at retirement is no lo

after your divorce or annulment. If you fail to inform O

marriage ended by divorce or annulment and fail to ma

former-spouse survivor annuity election after your divo

annulment, the fact that your annuity continues to be re

provide a current-spouse survivor annuity will not entit

former spouse to a survivor annuity after your death. 

Your election will not be permitted to the extent that it 

a lesser benefit than a qualifying court order that requir

provide a former-spouse survivor annuity. (See Part III

If your annuity is already reduced to provide a survivor 

your election will not be permitted to the extent that it c

total survivor annuities to exceed the maximum survivo

payable. The maximum survivor benefit is based on 55 

of your annuity. (It is based on 50 percent if your final 

from service was before October 11, 1962.) 

Spousal Consent Requirement: If you have remarried, 

or husband must consent in writing to your election to p

survivor annuity for your former spouse. A space for ce

consent is on the accompanying election form. We may 

requirement under certain conditions (for example, if y

spouse’s whereabouts cannot be determined). To reque

of the consent requirement, attach a statement to the ele

explaining the reason for your request. We will inform 

documentation that is required. 

If You Retired After May 6, 1985, and This Election I

Same Person You Were Married to at Retirement: Yo

provide a former spouse survivor annuity that is greater 

survivor benefit you both agreed to in writing when yo

2 
unless the former spouse loses entitlement. If you elect 

maximum former-spouse survivor benefit, the person y

could, upon your election, be paid the portion not desig

former spouse(s). 

If You Retired Before May 7, 1985, and Your Marriag

After That Date: You cannot provide a survivor annuit

former spouse unless he or she was entitled to a survivo

as your spouse prior to May 7, 1985. The survivor ben

elect now cannot exceed the amount you previously ele

that person. 

III. Court Ordered Benefits and Former-S

Survivor Annuity Elections

You do not need to elect a survivor annuity for your fo

if he or she was awarded a survivor annuity benefit by 

court order. We will reduce your annuity to provide the 

benefit. 

To obtain a decision on whether a court order is qualify

notify the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) of t

of a court-ordered benefit, send a complete, court-certif

the court order to: 

U.S. Office of Personnel Management


Court-Ordered Benefits Branch


P.O. Box 17


Washington, DC 20044-0017


Please include your full name, mailing address, CSA cl

and your telephone number when contacting OPM. 

3 
your former spouse, you cannot elect a lesser amount. H

the court order awards less than the maximum benefit, 

elect an additional amount if you are otherwise eligible 

IV. How Your Annuity Will Be Affected If 

an Election

If Your Annuity Has Not Been Reduced for Survivor 

Since Retirement: Your annuity will be adjusted based 

amount of the survivor benefit you elect. There will be 

reductions to your annuity. The first reduction is for the 

cost of the former-spouse survivor benefit. This reducti

if your former spouse loses entitlement to the benefit. (

The second reduction is permanent even if your forme

entitlement. This reduction is based on the accumulated 

reduction owed, plus 6 percent interest compounded an

total amount owed and your age are used to determine 

reduction for the survivor benefit. We refer to this as an 

reduction because it is designed to pay back the total am

over the average life expectancy of a person your age. (

reduction does not apply if your annuity is reduced to p

court-ordered, former-spouse survivor annuity.) 

4 
than the total reduction required by your new election. 

if your annuity was previously reduced for the maximu

benefit, you will not be charged for the period the maxi

reduction was in effect. 

The above annuity reductions are effective on the first 

second month after we receive your election. 

If Your Annuity Has Been Reduced for Survivor Bene

Retirement: Even if your annuity has been reduced for 

benefit since retirement, you must still file a new electi

divorce or annulment if you wish to provide a survivor 

that same individual as a former spouse. If you fail to f

election after your divorce or annulment and fail to info

your divorce or annulment, the fact that your own annu

to be reduced will not entitle your former spouse to a fo

survivor annuity after your death. If your annuity has b

for survivor benefits ever since retirement and your new 

your divorce or annulment is to provide the same amo

benefits for your former spouse, no greater reduction in 

will be required to provide the same benefit. If you pro

benefit for your former spouse, your annuity may be in

the difference between the current and the new reductio

adjustment will be retroactive to the first day of the mo

your former spouse lost entitlement to the benefit. 

5 
Part B of our letter shows how much you and your form

receive if you provide the maximum available survivor 

permanent actuarial reduction applies in your case, it w

computed through the date shown in item 2 of Part B. I

receive your election by that date, the amount of the red

increase. 

If you do not provide the maximum available survivor 

required annuity reduction will be reduced in rough pro

reduced benefit you elect. If you want information on t

of providing a smaller survivor annuity, please see belo

VI. Electing Less than the Maximum Ava

Survivor Annuity

To obtain information on the exact cost of providing a 

survivor annuity, please specify the amount you want y

spouse to receive in Part D of the letter. Provide your s

the date. After we receive your request, we will provide 

information and another election letter. 

6 
Because your former spouse is no longer a member of y

your former spouse cannot receive coverage under you

Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) enrollment, even i

self-and-family coverage. However, if you provide a su

for your former spouse, he or she can enroll in the FEH

all of the following requirements are met: 

1.	 Your former spouse was enrolled as a family memb

FEHB Program at any time during the 18-month pe

your marriage ended, 

2.	 After your marriage ended, your former spouse has 

before attaining age 55, 

3.	 Your marriage to your former spouse ended while y

Federally employed or retired, and 

4.	 Your former spouse applies to enroll within 60 day

him or her a notice of eligibility to enroll. 

The former spouse must agree to pay the full subscripti

(both the enrollee and government shares). If you make 

and your former spouse is eligible to enroll, we will no

of the procedures and time limit for enrolling. 

7 
Your former spouse will lose entitlement to a survivor 

or she remarries before age 55 (unless the remarriage is 

annuity reduction continues, and you again elect this pe

current spouse or unless you had been married to each 

least 30 years), dies, or as provided under the terms of 

court order. 

Generally, the reduction in your annuity for the regular 

former-spouse survivor annuity stops the first of the mo

your former spouse loses entitlement. However, the red

continue if a qualifying court order requires you to prov

former-spouse annuity. You also may elect to continue 

survivor reduction to provide or increase a survivor ann

another former spouse or for a current spouse. To do so

notify the Office of Personnel Management in writing w

years after the former spouse loses entitlement to benef

If you make this election and your former spouse loses 

please notify us immediately. Send proof of the termina

(marriage or death certificate). We will adjust your ann

applicable. However, any actuarial reduction in your an

provide survivor benefits will not stop. 

8 
survivor annuity benefit, please complete the accompan

form. It must be received by the Office of Personnel M

within 2 years after the date your marriage ended or (b) 

after the date another former spouse lost entitlement to 

annuity for which your annuity was reduced (see below 

exception). 

Exception: If you retired before May 7, 1985, you cann

election under (b) above if the survivor annuity for you

spouse was based on an election you made before Sept

Mailing Address: Send your completed election to:

U.S. Office of Personnel Management


Retirement Operations Center


ATTN: PRM-STOP


P.O. Box 45


Boyers, PA 16017-0045


Please read all of the information on the enclosed letter 

information in this pamphlet before making your electi

Important: After we have received an election from you 

a survivor annuity for your former spouse, you cannot 

election or reduce the amount of the benefit. 

9 
1.	 If you are eligible to apply because your marriage e

the last 2 years, please provide a complete, certified 

court order that ended your marriage, including any 

marital agreements incorporated into the order and 

amendments. 

2.	 If you are eligible to apply because, within the last 

former spouse lost entitlement to a survivor annuity 

which your annuity was reduced, please provide a c

certified copy of the court order that ended your ma

proof of the event that terminated your former spou

entitlement to benefits (marriage or death certificat

X. If You Decide Not to Provide a Surviv

If you decide not to provide a survivor annuity for your 

spouse, please enter his or her name and sign and date P

the election form. 

Please note that you may change your mind and elect to 

survivor annuity for your former spouse only if you aga

in a signed notification that is received within 2 years a

your marriage to your former spouse ended; or, it must 

within 2 years after the date another former spouse lost 

to a survivor annuity for which your annuity was reduc

10 
spouse survivor annuity election, telephone the person 

the letter you received with this booklet. The telephone 

at the bottom of the letter in the signature block. 

For general information, call the Retirement Informatio

toll-free at 1-888-767-6738. Customer Service Speciali

available Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 7:4

Eastern time. They are not available on Federal holiday

use TTY equipment, call 1-855-887-4957. Please have 

annuity claim number on hand when calling. 

Make use of Retirement Services Online. Log onto 

www.servicesonline.opm.gov to use your computer in 

pin-protected environment at your convenience to acce

about your annuity payment or to make changes in you

direct-deposit addresses, change your Federal and State 

withholding, view a statement describing your annuity 

much more. This is a time-saving tool you can use any 

or night. 

We provide retirement brochures, forms, and other info

the Internet at www.opm.gov/retirement-services and r

emails sent to retire@opm.gov. 

If you write to us, please state your questions clearly an

full name and annuity claim number (CSA number). Th

identify the proper records promptly. Our mailing addr

correspondence is:

U.S. Office of Personnel Management


Retirement Operations Center


P.O. Box 45


Boyers, PA 16017-0045.


11 
UNITED STATES

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

1900 E Street, NW

Washington, DC 20415

www.opm.gov/retirement-services/

RI 20-64B

Revised September 2013

Previous edition is usable.