How to Notify a Pension of Death: Administrator, Documents, Timeline

To notify a pension of a death, contact the plan administrator, send a certified copy of the death certificate along with the deceased’s identifying information, and complete the plan’s survivor benefit claim forms. For most private-sector plans, the administrator then has 90 days to issue an initial decision on the claim.¹ Do it quickly. Every month the plan doesn’t know, it may keep sending payments that will later be clawed back.

Find the Right Plan Administrator

Look through the deceased person’s recent mail and tax records first. Pension plans send a Form 1099-R to recipients each January, and it lists the plan’s name, address, and federal identification number, which is almost everything you need for first contact.² A recent benefit statement works too.

No paperwork? Call the human resources department of the most recent employer and ask whether a pension exists and who administers it. If the person held several jobs over a career, you may need to work through more than one former employer.

If the employer is out of business or the plan was terminated, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation maintains a searchable database of unclaimed benefits from terminated plans. Surviving spouses and relatives can also call PBGC at 1-800-400-7242.³ The Department of Labor runs an Abandoned Plan Program with its own searchable database, and EBSA benefits advisors are reachable at 1-866-444-3272.⁴

Federal civilian pensions run through the Office of Personnel Management under FERS or CSRS. Military retiree pensions are handled by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, which accepts death reports through its online askDFAS form, by phone at 1-800-321-1080, or by fax or mail.⁵

Documents to Gather Before You Call

Every plan will ask for a similar core set of documents. Having them ready lets you handle the notification in one exchange instead of several.

A certified copy of the death certificate. This is the one document no plan will waive. Fees for certified copies vary by jurisdiction, typically between $5 and $34 each. Order several — other institutions will need them too.
The deceased’s full legal name as it appears in plan records, Social Security number, date of birth, and exact date of death.⁶
A marriage certificate, if a spouse is claiming survivor benefits.
The plan’s own notification of death or survivor benefit application forms, usually available on the administrator’s website or by phone. For federal employees under FERS, the key forms are SF 3104 and SF 3104B. For military retirees, DFAS uses SF 1174 for final unpaid compensation and DD 2656-7 for Survivor Benefit Plan annuity payments; both require a death certificate that states the cause of death.⁷⁵
Your own identification, contact information, and relationship to the participant.

If you’re the executor, keep a copy of your letters testamentary or letters of administration on hand. Some plans will only discuss certain distribution details with the estate’s legal representative.

If No Beneficiary Was Named

When the participant never filed a beneficiary designation, or the named beneficiary died first, the plan’s default order of payment applies. For plans under PBGC protection, that order runs surviving spouse, children, parents, the participant’s estate, and then next of kin.⁸ If the participant was unmarried and died before retirement, some plans may not owe any benefit at all. The plan’s Summary Plan Description lays out its specific rules.⁹

How to Submit the Notification

There is no single federal deadline for notifying a pension plan of a death, but PBGC advises doing it as soon as possible.⁶ Prompt notice starts the clock on survivor benefit processing and cuts off further overpayments.

Many administrators accept notification through an online portal where you can upload scanned documents and receive an immediate confirmation number. PBGC accepts death certificates by email or mail.⁶ If you’re sending paper, use a service that provides delivery confirmation or a return receipt. That paper trail matters if a dispute later arises about when the plan was notified.

Keep a full copy of everything you submit: the completed forms, the death certificate copy, and any cover letter. If the administrator later says something is missing, your copies and delivery confirmation settle the question fast.

Handle Payments That Arrive After the Death

Pension payments often continue for a month or two after death, especially with direct deposit. That money is not yours to keep, and federal recovery tools are aggressive.

Once a bank learns of a recipient’s death, it must return any benefit payments that arrived after the death. The paying agency has 120 days from learning of the death to initiate a formal reclamation, and if the bank doesn’t return the money voluntarily, the federal government can instruct the Federal Reserve Bank to debit the bank’s account directly.¹⁰

Do not spend pension deposits that arrive after the death. Leave them in the account if you can. If funds have already moved, set them aside in a separate account so they’re available when the reclamation request comes. Knowingly holding onto post-death benefit payments without telling the plan can lead to civil repayment demands and, in some states, criminal penalties.

Timelines and What Happens Next

For private-sector ERISA plans, the administrator must make an initial decision on your benefit claim within 90 days of receiving it. If special circumstances require more time, the plan can extend that by another 90 days, but it must notify you in writing before the first 90 days expire and explain the reason.¹

During review, the administrator verifies the death certificate, confirms you’re the correct beneficiary, and calculates the benefit. You’ll usually get a formal acknowledgment that lifetime payments have stopped, followed by a determination letter spelling out what survivor benefits you’re entitled to, the payment amount and frequency, and any elections you need to make.

If the plan asks for more documentation, respond quickly. Delays in providing missing items can push you past the extended processing window, and payments don’t start until the claim is resolved.

Federal civilian claims move on a different schedule. As of early 2026, OPM processes survivor annuity claims in an average of 24 days and lump-sum claims in about 38 days from receipt of a complete application.¹¹

If the Claim Is Denied

Denials happen, often over missing documentation, a disputed beneficiary designation, or a disagreement about vesting. Under ERISA, the plan must give you a written explanation and a description of the appeal process. You generally have at least 60 days to file an appeal, and some plans allow 180. The plan then has 60 days to decide the appeal, with a possible 60-day extension for special circumstances.¹

Finish the internal appeal before doing anything else. If you sue without completing the plan’s appeal procedure, a court will almost certainly send you back to finish it. Once the internal process is exhausted and the claim is still denied, ERISA lets you file a civil lawsuit in federal court to recover benefits due under the plan.¹² At that point, an attorney who handles ERISA disputes is worth the cost.

Government plans follow different appeal rules. Federal employees under FERS or CSRS can request reconsideration from OPM and then appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board. Military survivors can contact DFAS for guidance on disputing a benefit calculation or denial.⁵

1
eCFR. 29 CFR 2560.503-1 – Claims Procedure
2
Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 1099-R and 5498
3
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. Find Your Retirement Benefits – Missing Participants Program
4
U.S. Department of Labor. Abandoned Plan Program
5
Defense Finance and Accounting Service. Report a Retiree’s Death
6
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. Report a Death
7
Office of Personnel Management. Applying for Death Benefits Under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS)
8
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. Pension Benefits Overview
9
U.S. Department of Labor. FAQs About Retirement Plans and ERISA
10
eCFR. Subpart B – Reclamation of Benefit Payments
11
U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Retirement Processing Times
12
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 29 USC 1132 – Civil Enforcement