How Marriage Impacts a Spouse Annuitant Pay Account

Surviving spouses maintain their eligibility for SBP until death, as long as they do not remarry before the age of 55. If a spouse annuitant remarries before age 55, annuity payments are suspended.

However, if the marriage of a spouse annuitant (who remarried before age 55) later ends for any reason, their eligibility for the annuity is reinstated, effective on the first day of the month the marriage ends. The annuity payments will be restarted, once DFAS has received and processed the notification and documents.

Spouse annuitants who remarry after age 55 are entitled to receive full SBP and DIC benefits at the same time.

Annuitants are responsible for notifying DFAS of any changes to their marital status.

To notify DFAS of a marriage:

Please complete an Annuitant Survivor Benefit Plan-Marital Status Update (SBP-MSU) form which is available on the Forms Library webpage at the following link: https://www.dfas.mil/raforms.

Please include a photocopy of the marriage license.

To notify DFAS that a marriage ended (if you married before age 55):

Please complete a DD 2656-7 (Verification for Survivor Annuity), an IRS Form W-4P, and a Direct Deposit Start-Up Form. All 3 are available on the Forms Library webpage at the above link.

The quickest way to submit forms to DFAS is online through our askDFAS website: https://www.dfas.mil/askdfas.

Forms can also be printed and mailed to DFAS at:

Defense Finance and Accounting Service
U.S. Military Annuitant Pay
8899 E 56th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46249-1300

Or, fax your form and supporting documents to: (800) 982-8459.

Page updated Apr 24 2024