Simplifying Eligibility Verifications for Retirees and SBP Annuitants

As part of our work to transform DFAS Retired & Annuitant Pay into an even more customer-friendly environment for you, we are simplifying eligibility verifications for both retirees and SBP annuitants. Check out the good news below.

Changes to Simplify Eligibility Verifications for Retirees

Retirees Who Receive a Paycheck in the Mail to a Foreign Address

Starting in May of 2023, we replaced the twice-yearly Report of Existence (ROE) with an ANNUAL Foreign Address Update for Mailed Checks (FAUMC) letter.

Prior to May, retirees who received a hardcopy check to a foreign address needed to complete and return a Report of Existence (ROE) twice each year. One ROE was due the month of their birthday, and one ROE was due six months after their birthday.

Now, retirees who receive a hardcopy check to a foreign address will only need to complete and return the new annual FAUMC once a year (due the first of the month of their birthday). This new letter will be automatically mailed to all retirees who need to complete and return it the first of the month of their birthday. This part of the process is the same as it was under the old guidelines.

We also have a convenient askDFAS online upload tool on our website for returning the FAUMC. Once you have completed and signed your FAUMC, save it as a PDF file and upload it online via askDFAS. And coming soon, we will have emailed status notifications for the new FAUMC.

Please note that we will still accept and process ROEs in place of the new FAUMC for the period of the transition from the old process to the new, simpler process. If you owed an ROE prior to May of 2023, please complete and return it. You can also download the new FAUMC from our website Forms Library here and return that instead.

Retirees with Pay Suspended for More than 90 Days

Starting in May of 2023, if your pay is suspended for more than 90 days, you will need to complete a retiree Restart Pay Confirmation (RPC) letter to restart your pay. This letter is only required when your pay is suspended for more than 90 days.
The most common cause for suspension of a retiree’s pay is a returned payment from a closed bank account. Please keep your account information up to date with DFAS to avoid this.

If your pay is suspended, you will need to complete the RPC and have it signed by a certifying officer. This can be someone from the Legal Services Office (court/law enforcement), Retiree Services/Activities Office (RSO/RAO), Survivor Services Office, or the Disbursing office at an armed forces base or post. Once DFAS receives the completed form and your updated payment information, if applicable, your account will be unsuspended, and any back pay will be released.

We also have a convenient askDFAS online upload tool on our website for returning the RPC. Once you have completed and signed your RPC, save it as a PDF file and upload it online via askDFAS. And coming soon, we will have emailed status notifications for the new RPC.

Please note that we will still accept and process the old retiree Certificate of Existence form to restart pay during the period of the transition from the old process to the new. If you owed a retiree Certificate of Existence prior to May of 2023, please complete and return it. You can also download the new retiree RPC from our website Forms Library here and return that instead.

Upcoming Changes to Simplify Eligibility Verifications for Annuitants

This year, DFAS is reducing the requirements for SBP annuitants to one annual eligibility determination. Currently, some SBP annuitants need to complete multiple forms each year. Soon, SBP annuitant will only need to complete and submit one each year.

When we implement the new requirements, there will be a hierarchy of verifications DFAS will follow to make sure that we get the information we need to continue your pay without burdening you with multiple forms each year. 

Student SBP Annuitants Who Submit a School Certification

For example, SBP annuitants who are currently required to submit a School Certification won’t need to complete any other annual eligibility documents.

SBP Annuitants Ages 14 to 55 Who Must Submit an Annual Certificate of Eligibility (COE)

Starting in August of 2023, the annual Certificate of Eligibility (COE) will be replaced by the Survivor Benefit Plan-Marriage Status Update (SBP-MSU).

Currently, annuitants age 14 to 55 must submit a COE annually to provide their current marital status.

Starting in August, annuitants age 14 to 55 will submit an annual Survivor Benefit Plan-Marriage Status Update (SBP-MSU) instead of the COE.

SBP annuitants who are currently required to submit a School Certification won’t need to complete an annual Survivor Benefit Plan-Marriage Status Update (SBP-MSU).

We will also have a new, convenient online upload tool on our website for returning the SBP-MSU. Once you complete and signed your SBP-MSU, save it as a PDF file and upload it online via askDFAS. And later this year, we will have emailed status notifications for the new SBP-MSU.

Please note that we will still accept and process annuitant COEs in place of the new SBP-MSU during the period of the transition from the old process to the new, simpler process. If you owe a COE prior to August of 2023, please complete and return it.
Starting in August, you will also be able to download the new SBP-MSU from our website Forms Library here and return that instead.

SBP Annuitants Who Receive a Paycheck in the Mail to a Foreign Address

Starting in August of 2023, we will replace the twice-yearly Report of Existence (ROE) for SBP annuitants with an ANNUAL Foreign Address Update for Mailed Checks (FAUMC) letter.

Currently, annuitants who receive a hardcopy check to a foreign address need to complete and return an annuitant Report of Existence (ROE) twice each year. One ROE is due the month of their birthday, and one ROE is due six months after their birthday. For annuitants who must submit an annual Certificate of Eligibility (COE) the month of their birthday, that COE took the place of the ROE due the month of their birthday, but they still needed to submit a second ROE six months after their birthday.

Soon, annuitants who receive a hardcopy check to a foreign address will only need to complete and return the new annual FAUMC once a year (due the first of the month of their birthday). This new letter will be automatically mailed to all annuitants who need to complete and return it the first of the month of their birthday. This part of the process is the same as it was under the old guidelines.

However, beginning in August, if an SBP annuitant receiving a hardcopy check to a foreign address is required to submit an annual Survivor Benefit Plan-Marriage Status Update (SBP-MSU), previously the COE, the annual SBP-MSU submission will take the place of the FAUMC. This means, starting in August, an SBP annuitant who is required to submit an annual SBP-MSU will not have to submit an FAUMC, even if they are receiving a hardcopy check to a foreign address.

If they are a student SBP annuitant who is required to submit an annual School Certification, they will not have to submit an annual SBP-MSU or an FAUMC.

We will also have a convenient online upload tool on our website for returning the annuitant FAUMC. Once you have completed and signed your FAUMC, save it as a PDF file and you will be able to upload it online via askDFAS. And later this year, we will also have emailed status notifications for the new annuitant FAUMC.

Please note that we will still accept and process annuitant ROEs in place of the new annuitant FAUMC during the period of the transition from the old process to the new, simpler process. If you owe an ROE prior to August of 2023, please complete and return it. You will also be able to download the new annuitant FAUMC from our website Forms Library here and return that instead.

SBP Annuitants with Pay Suspended for More than 90 Days

Beginning in August, if your pay is suspended for more than 90 days, you will need to complete a Restart Pay Confirmation (RPC) letter. This is replacing the current Certificate to Establish Identity (CEI). This letter is only used when your pay is suspended. The most common causes for the suspension of an annuitant’s pay is a returned payment from a closed bank account or a missing eligibility verification. Please be sure to keep your information with DFAS up to date to avoid this.

If your pay is suspended for more than 90 days, you will need to complete the Restart Pay Confirmation (RPC) letter and have it signed by a certifying officer. This can be someone from the Legal Services Office (court/law enforcement), Retiree Services/Activities Office (RSO/RAO), Survivor Services Office, or the Disbursing office at an armed forces base or post. Once DFAS receives the completed RPC and any other information required, your account will be unsuspended, and any back pay will be released.

We will also have a convenient askDFAS online upload tool on our website for returning the RPC. Once you have completed and signed your RPC, save it as a PDF file and upload it online via askDFAS. See information here. And coming soon, we will have emailed status notifications for the new RPC.

Important Note About Emailed Status Notifications

Emailed status notifications require a valid address in myPay, so please log into your myPay account and check yours now!

Watch for Additional News

Please watch for additional news and information coming soon on the changes we are making to simplify eligibility verifications. We will post information on our website and include it in fall issues of the DFAS Retiree Newsletter and the DFAS Survivor SBP Newsletter.