How to Fill Out and Submit Form FE-6: Claim for Death Benefits

To fill out Form FE-6, download the fillable PDF from OPM’s website, complete the parts that apply to your relationship with the deceased (not every claimant fills in every section), sign and date it, and mail it with a certified death certificate either to the deceased’s former employing agency (if they were still working) or to the Office of Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance at P.O. Box 6512, Utica, NY 13504-6512 (if they were retired or receiving workers’ compensation).¹²

Before You Start

Have three things ready. The blank form, downloaded as a fillable PDF from opm.gov. A certified copy of the death certificate showing cause and manner of death, which you can get from the funeral director or your state’s vital statistics office. Certified copies typically run $15 to $35 depending on the state, and only one certified copy is needed per claim, so if you know another beneficiary is sending one, you don’t need your own.² And the deceased’s employment status at the time of death: were they still an active federal employee, retired, or receiving workers’ compensation? The answer decides where you mail the finished package.

One boundary to note before you begin. If you are claiming Option C family coverage because a spouse or dependent child of a federal employee has died (rather than the employee themselves), you use Form FE-6 DEP, not FE-6.³ And if the insured is still alive but terminally ill with a life expectancy of nine months or less, the “Living Benefit” they may be entitled to also uses a separate application — call OFEGLI at 1-800-633-4542 to request it.⁴

Filling Out the Form, Part by Part

The January 2026 edition has eight parts labeled A through H. The form itself tells you which parts to skip based on who you are to the deceased, but a walk-through helps you gather the right facts before you sit down with it.²

Part A: Information About the Insured

Enter the deceased’s full legal name, date of birth, date of death, and Social Security number (or FEGLI claim number if they had one). Include the last employing agency along with the bureau or division. Two yes/no questions ask whether the deceased was retired under a federal civilian retirement system and whether they were receiving workers’ compensation. Answer “Unknown” if you truly don’t know, but the more accurate this section, the faster OFEGLI can pull the right records.

Part B: The Insured’s Marriages

List every marriage the deceased had, not just the last one. For each, note the spouse’s name, how the marriage ended (death or divorce), and the date it ended. OFEGLI uses this to confirm whether a surviving spouse exists and to cross-check any court orders that may redirect benefits.

Part C: Your Marriages

Complete this only if you are the surviving spouse. Provide the date and place of your marriage to the deceased, who performed it, and whether a divorce had occurred before the death. If you were married more than once, list all of your marriages the way Part B asks about the deceased’s.

Part D: Next of Kin

Everyone except the surviving spouse fills in Part D. If the deceased had living children, list each one’s name, age, relationship, and full address. If there were no children, list the parents. If the parents are also gone, list whoever qualifies as next of kin. You also report any children of the deceased who died before them and whether those children left their own children behind — grandchildren inherit a deceased child’s share.

Part E: Estate Information

Fill this out only if the estate is the rightful claimant, meaning no designated beneficiary, spouse, children, or parents survived. Indicate whether a court has appointed an executor or administrator and provide that person’s name and address.

Part F: Additional Information

Two questions. First, whether you signed a document authorizing a funeral home to receive direct payment. Second, whether you are claiming accidental death benefits. Check “Yes” on the accidental death question if the employee died in an accident — the additional payout is not considered unless you affirmatively claim it here. Accidental death coverage applies to current employees and to Option A holders; it does not apply to retirees or compensationers.⁵

Part G: How You Receive Payment

You can choose a TCA Visa debit card or a digital Total Control Account. If you want a traditional paper check, leave both boxes unchecked and OFEGLI will contact you about payment options. Provide your email address or mobile phone number if you select the digital TCA.

Part H: Your Information and Signature

Print your name, relationship to the deceased, date of birth, address, and phone number. Sign and date the form. Your signature certifies that everything you provided is true. Errors or blank fields in this section are one of the most common reasons for processing delays, so review it before sealing the envelope.

Documents to Attach

Every claim needs a certified copy of the death certificate. A plain photocopy is not enough; OFEGLI requires the certified original or an officially notarized copy.²

Depending on your situation, include:

A certified copy of any divorce decree or property settlement that directs how FEGLI benefits should be paid. Under Public Law 105-205, a qualifying court order overrides the normal statutory order of beneficiaries.⁶
Letters testamentary or letters of administration, if you are claiming as executor or administrator of the estate.
Proof of guardianship, if you are filing on behalf of a minor child.

Where to Mail It

The destination depends on the deceased’s status when they died.

If the deceased was an active federal employee, send the completed FE-6 and death certificate to the human resources or personnel office of the last employing agency. That office verifies coverage details and forwards the package to OFEGLI.

If the deceased was retired or receiving workers’ compensation, mail the form and death certificate directly to OFEGLI at P.O. Box 6512, Utica, NY 13504-6512.¹

Not sure which category applies? Start with the last employing agency’s HR office. They can confirm the person’s status and point you to the right destination.

After You Send It

Wait at least 30 days before checking on the status. OFEGLI’s claims line is 1-800-633-4542, staffed 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday. Overseas beneficiaries call 212-578-2975.⁷ If the deceased was active when they died, the employing agency’s HR office can also tell you whether the claim package has been forwarded.

OFEGLI will reach out directly if it needs more documentation, clarification about the estate, or verification of your position in the order of precedence. When the review is done, you receive a statement showing the final payout amount and any interest included.

For benefits of $5,000 or more, you choose between a check and a MetLife Total Control Account. If you make no selection, OFEGLI opens a TCA in your name automatically.⁸ The TCA is an interest-bearing account with no monthly fees; you can withdraw the full balance at any time, and drafts against the account work like checks with a $250 minimum.⁹ For benefits under $5,000, OFEGLI issues a check.

The proceeds themselves are not taxable income. Interest that accrues between the date of death and the date of payment is reportable, and OFEGLI will send a 1099-INT if the amount reaches the IRS reporting threshold. Interest earned inside a TCA after the proceeds arrive is also taxable.¹⁰

One Deadline Worth Knowing

There is no filing fee for an FE-6 claim, but there is an outer limit. If no one files and no claim is pending within four years of the employee’s death, the money escheats to the Employees’ Life Insurance Fund.¹¹ File as soon as you have the death certificate and the information Parts A through H ask for.

1
U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Claim for Death Benefits
2
U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Claim for Death Benefits Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program
3
U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Form FE-6 DEP – Statement of Claim – Option C Family Life Insurance
4
U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Living Benefits Claim Form
5
U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Handbook
6
U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Court Ordered Benefits – A Brief Overview
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U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Death Claims
8
U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Life Insurance FAQs
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U.S. Office of Personnel Management. What Is a MetLife Total Control Account (TCA)?
10
U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Will My Beneficiary Have to Pay Income Tax on the FEGLI Benefits?
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Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 USC 8705 – Death Claims; Order of Precedence; Escheat