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Coming Soon: More Tools to Make Filling Out and Submitting Forms Easier

 
This fall, we begin rolling out a series of new tools to help retirees and annuitants fill out and submit forms easily and correctly. The tools include helpful PDF Form Wizards, checklists, how-to videos, and online upload tools. 
 
The tools will be available from the Forms page on our website:
www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/forms
 
DFAS receives a high percentage of unworkable forms, often because a form is missing information or a signature. We hope these tools will make the processes easier for our customers by reducing the number of incorrect documents that cause delays and by allowing digital submissions.
 
PDF Form Wizards
 
The Form Wizards “take the form out of the form” by having the customer answer a series of questions. Once they have answered the questions, the wizard automatically places their answers in the correct areas of the form and generates a ready-to-print PDF of the completed form. Customers can also save a PDF of the generated form to their own computer. 
 
The wizards are designed to generate a printable version of the filled-out forms, since these forms require a “wet” signature and in some cases, witnesses or notaries. 
 
The initial wizards we are developing are for the highest-volume forms we receive. The first Form Wizard we will launch (in late September) is for the SF 1174, for claiming Arrears of Pay when a retiree passes away. 
 
The PDF Form Wizards can only be used on a Windows or MAC computer with compatible PDF software, such as the free Adobe Acrobat DC.
 
Checklists and videos
 
The new checklists will provide a different kind of help, by explaining the information that needs to be included on a form, and additional documentation that may be needed. They also have a reminder to sign the form, which is one of the major omissions that prevent us from processing a form. 
 
The videos complement the checklists with visual instructions. 

AskDFAS online upload tools
 
The new online upload tools will allow some forms and the required documentation to be uploaded and submitted through AskDFAS on the DFAS.mil website, which is also accessible on a mobile browser. 
 
To use the new, online tool to submit a form, customers will just need to fill in the required information in the online screen, and then upload a PDF of their completed and signed form and documentation. 
 
Please note the AskDFAS online upload tools can only accept the specific form and documentation noted on the upload tool. Other requests or documents cannot be processed through these tools. 
 
The first upload tool is already available (see the article on School Certifications). The next upload tool, available in late September, will be for the SF 1174, for claiming Arrears of Pay when a retiree passes away. 
 
Watch the Latest News area of our website for news on other tools:
www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary
 

Page last updated on Sept 25, 2019