In the event of a NASA employee’s passing, a NASA Benefits Specialist will help your survivor file all necessary claims for any survivor and dependent annuities, life insurance and other benefits which may be available to them. We want you to know that the staff at NSSC is here to help you and your survivors in any way possible. Your surviving family members are our highest priority.
NASA Counselor for Survivor Benefits
Note: If a NASA retiree or a former NASA employee passes away, the loss should be reported to the Office of Personnel Management https://apps.opm.gov/retire/death/death.cfm. If you are unable to use the website, you can report it by contacting OPM’s Retirement Office at 1-888-767-6738 or retire@opm.gov. The phone lines are open from 7:30 am to 7:45 pm (Eastern Standard Time). It is a busy phone number, so we encourage you to call early in the morning or after 5:00 pm when the phone lines are less busy.
Ames Research Center: Roland Espino
Armstrong Flight Research Center: Carol Crummer
Glenn Research Center: Natalie Madigan
Goddard Space Flight Center: Carol Crummer
Headquarters: Sharon Beard
Johnson Space Center: Sharon Beard
Kennedy Space Center: Sharon Beard
Langley Research Center: Christopher Fowler
Marshall Space Flight Center: Roland Espino
NASA Shared Services Center: Natalie Madigan
Office of Inspector General: Sharon Beard
Stennis Space Center: Roland Espino
I’m a NASA employee. What survivor benefits are my beneficiaries entitled to?
Published 07/01/2013 02:06 PM | Updated 09/29/2016 03:51 PM
What survivor benefits are my beneficiaries entitled to?
CSRS – When an employee dies, annuity benefits may be payable to a surviving spouse, children, and a former spouse. To qualify for a survivor annuity, you must have been married for a total of 9 months or have a child born of the marriage or accidental death. The surviving spouse will receive 55% of the amount the employee would have received should they have retired at the time of death. The spouse survivor annuity begins the day after death and ends in the month preceding the month in which the survivor dies or remarries before age 55.
To qualify for a child’s survivor annuities, a child must be:
- 18 and umarried
- Over the age of 18 and disabled prior to age 18
- Over the age of 18 up to age 22 if a full-time student
Child’s annuity begins the day after death and ends when the child reaches 18 (unless a student or disabled), marries, or dies.
To qualify for a former spouse annuity, you must have been married for at least 9 months and must not remarry prior to age 55. If no survivor annuity is payable, CSRS contributions will be paid as a lump sum death benefit to the person or persons named as beneficiaries. If no beneficiaries, the lump sum will be paid by the order of precedence. For more information, you may access the following pamphlet entitled, Retirement Facts 5, Survivor Benefits Under the Civil Service Retirement System. http://www.opm.gov/retirement-services/publications-forms/pamphlets/ri83-5.pdf
FERS -To qualify for a survivor annuity, the employee must have been employed for at least 18 months, and married to the survivor for a total of 9 months or have a child born of the marriage or accidental death.
The surviving spouse may be eligible for a Basic Employee Death Benefit, equal to 50% of the employee’s final salary plus $15,000 increased by the Civil Service Retirement System Cost of Living Adjustment.
The surviving spouse may be eligible for an annuity if the employee was employed for a total of 10 years of service and subject to FERS deductions at the time of death. This annuity is computed as 50% of the employee’s basic annuity had the employee retired optionally with no age reduction. The spouse survivor annuity begins the day after death and ends in the month preceding the month in which the survivor dies or remarries before age 55.
To qualify for a child’s survivor annuities, a child must be:
- 18 and umarried;
- Over the age of 18 and disabled prior to age 18; and
- Over the age of 18 up to age 22 if a full-time student.
The combined benefit of all the children is reduced by the total amount of child’s insurance benefits that are payable under Title II of the Social Security Act. In many cases the child’s benefit is reduced to $0.
Child’s annuity begins the day after death and ends when the child reaches 18 (unless a student or disabled), marries, or dies). To qualify for a former spouse annuity, you must have been married for at least 9 months and must not remarry prior to age 55. If no survivor annuity is payable, FERS contributions will be paid as a lump sum death benefit to the person or persons named as beneficiaries. If no beneficiaries, the lump sum will be paid by the order of precedence. For more information, you may access the following pamphlet entitled, Applying for Death Benefits Under the Federal Employees Retirement System. http://www.opm.gov/retirement-services/publications-forms/pamphlets/sf3114.pdf
FEHB – Surviving eligible family members may continue health benefits enrollment after an employee dies if: the employee had a self and family enrollment, and one family member is entitled to a survivor annuity.
If an annuity is payable, the benefits will continue with no interruption. If there are no additional family members, a Benefits Specialist will complete the correct form to change the enrollment from Self and Family to Self Only. If the annuity payable is not sufficient to cover the FEHB premium, premiums may be submitted through Direct Bill. Surviving family members covered by FEHB, will continue to have access to make Open Season elections.
FEGLI – When an employee dies, the Office of Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (OFEGLI) will pay benefits to the designated beneficiary (ies). If no designation is on file, OFEGLI will pay benefits in the order of precedence. The Benefits Specialist will assist you in completion of form, FE-6 Claim for Death Benefits. The designated beneficiary will need to provide a certified copy of the deceased’s death certificate.
Claims for Death Benefits are processed by Met Life.
NEBA – The NASA Employee Benefits Association (NEBA)is an employee operated association that provides low cost, high quality life insurance for NASA employees. The NSSC Benefits Specialist will notify NEBA of the death of an employee. NEBA will send a packet of forms to be completed by the designated beneficiary. The Benefits Specialist will assist you in the completion of these forms is assistance is required.
FEDVIP – If you are a survivor of a deceased Federal Service employee and you are receiving an annuity, you may enroll or continue the existing enrollment.
Loss of a family member – FEGLI Option C covers the lives of the employee/retiree’s spouse and eligible children under age 22. If you have Option C coverage and an eligible family member dies, complete the form, FE-6 DEP and submit it, along with a certified copy of the deceased person’s death certificate to the NSSC at:
NASA Shared Services Center
Stennis Space Center
Building 1111, C Road
Stennis Space Center, MS 39529
ATTN: Benefits Processing
General Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) Information – As a participant in the TSP, you will likely accumulate a sizeable amount of money in your TSP account over the years. One of the things you need to think about now is, “Who will receive the money in my account when I die?” This may be an uncomfortable question, but it is very important not to put off decisions regarding who should receive your money. You need to take the time to ensure that your money goes where you want. You cannot rely on your will, prenuptial agreement, separation agreement, property settlement agreement, or court order to specify who will inherit your TSP account because the TSP does not use any of these documents to distribute death benefit payments.
Use form TSP-3, Designation of Beneficiary to designate who will receive the money in your account. If there is a TSP-3 on file with the TSP on the date of the participant’s death, the account will be distributed accordingly. Otherwise the participant account will be distributed according the order of precedence.
The NSSC Benefits Specialist will assist beneficiary (ies) with completions of the form TSP-17, Information Relating to Deceased Participant.
Spouse Beneficiary – In the event of your death, if your spouse is entitled to a share of your account, a beneficiary participant account will be established for your spouse in his or her own name.
FORMS
I’m a NASA employee. What forms will the survivor/beneficiary or next of kin will be required to fill out?
The survivor/beneficiary or next of kin will be required to fill out the following forms:
FE-6 Claim for Death Benefits (FEGLI)
TSP-17 Application for Account Balance of Deceased Participant
SF-1153 Claim for unpaid compensation of Deceased Civilian Employee
CSRS Only:
SF-2800 CSRS Application for Death Benefits
SF-2800A CSRS Documentation and Elections in Support of Application for Death Benefits
FERS Only:
SF-3104 FERS Application for Death Benefits
SF-3104B FERS Documentation and Elections in Support of Application for Death Benefits