Director’s Message
Greetings from Cleveland, and welcome to the very first issue of our new Survivor SBP Newsletter.
This newsletter focuses on news of special interest to survivors. We know that the laws and regulations governing military annuity pay are complex and can be difficult to understand. We hope this newsletter, along with our other communications tools, will help to clarify your annuity benefits.
Most of the information in this newsletter will apply both to the surviving beneficiaries of military retirees and to the SBP annuitants who had service members pass away while on active duty/in the line of duty.
However, in each issue, we will also include special information for those annuitants who lost a loved one in the line of duty. If you are an Active Duty or Line of Duty survivor, please see the special article in this newsletter with specific information for you.
Of course, the big news in the coming year is the first phase of the SBP-DIC Offset Phased Elimination, which begins on January 1, 2021. In this newsletter, we outline what will happen in 2021, 2022 and 2023, and how each of the phases may affect SBP and/or SSIA payments for SBP spouse annuitants who receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) from the VA.
We also have an article about what you can expect to receive in your end-of-year mailing from DFAS, and how you can request a replacement 1099-R, if needed.
This year we made sweeping changes to the School Certification process for student SBP annuitants. Please see the article for all of the good news on the new, easier process.
We have an article about our new, helpful form tools, which are designed to make filling out required forms easier. These tools include PDF Form Wizards, how-to checklists, how-to videos, and AskDFAS online upload tools.
There is also an article in this issue about the benefits of using myPay. If you’re not using myPay, and you’re receiving SBP or SSIA payments from DFAS, now is a great time to get started. See the article for helpful how-to’s.
We are working on some exciting new projects, coming in 2021. One involves new ways to notify you of the status of your account, including through email if you have an email address in myPay.. Keep an eye on our website for news.
We will continue to share news of interest to survivors in our quarterly DFAS Retiree Newsletter, and twice a year we will also provide this focused newsletter especially for you. Please share this information with your community of survivors.
Finally, our website has a lot of helpful information. We hope you will take a few minutes to check it out: www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary
We honor the service and sacrifices made by you, your family, and your loved one. We are proud to serve those who have served, and we wish you and your family a safe and happy holiday season.
Page updated Dec 3, 2020