About the Designation of Beneficiary Information card:

Who it’s for …… Military retirees.

What it’s for…… The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) uses this form to determine who will receive a retiree’s final prorated paycheck – also known as Arrears of Pay (AOP) – upon the retiree’s death.  For example, if a retiree dies on the 5^th day of the month, the designated beneficiary will receive 5 days worth of retired pay.  In addition to retired pay, AOP may include any monies owed, but not paid during the retiree’s lifetime, such as a credit for SBP overpayment or returned allotment payments.

When to use it……Retirees should complete this form and return it when the remarks section of their Retiree Account Statement (RAS) states “WE DO NOT HAVE ANY BENEFICIARY INFORMATION ON FILE ON YOUR COMPUTERIZED PAY ACCOUNT” or when their family circumstances change.  For example, retirees should use this form to update their beneficiary designation due to marriage, divorce, child birth, or if they simply wish to change their current beneficiary.

How to complete the form…… Most of the fields on this form are self-explanatory; the only fields that might need explanation are the “SHARE” fields in section 2 (Designated Beneficiary Information).

Retirees can enter up to five beneficiaries to receive all or a portion of their AOP, or can establish an order of precedence of beneficiaries. Instructions for adding more than five beneficiaries in included on the second page of the form.

To designate two or more beneficiaries to receive AOP, a retiree should complete each subsection (name, SSN, relationship and address). The SHARE should be written as a percentage of the AOP the beneficiary is to receive (such as 60%). The total of the SHARE column cannot exceed 100%.

To establish a beneficiary order of precedence, the retiree should complete section 2 in order, with the primary beneficiary listed first. Each beneficiary should be designated to receive 100% in the SHARE column.

Anyone can be designated as a beneficiary, from family members to friends and associates.

Retirees who do not specifically designate beneficiaries will have their AOP distributed in accordance with the Federally-Mandated Order of Precedence. Under this process, AOP would be paid in order to a spouse, natural or adopted children, grandchildren, etc.

Note:  Stepchildren are not eligible beneficiaries for AOP in accordance with the Federally-Mandated Order of Precedence. Therefore, in order for  a stepchild to receive a portion of AOP, the retiree  must designate each beneficiary specifically and provide percentages. 

Forms MUST be signed and dated to be considered valid. Additionally, completed forms must be received by DFAS before the retiree’s death.

Where to send your Beneficiary Card……          

Fax the completed form to (800) 469-6559,
or mail the form to:

Defense Finance and Accounting Service
U.S. Military Retirement Pay
P.O. Box 7130
London, KY 40742-7130