Reporting
a Death.
Survivors, family members, and estate representatives are required to notify OPM when a federal retiree or benefit recipient passes away. This page has the contact numbers, hours, mailing address, and steps to report the death and initiate life insurance claims.
How to reach
OPM Retirement Services.
Survivors can contact OPM by phone, email, or mail. Phone is the fastest option. OPM's line is frequently busy — call early or late in the day for the best chance of getting through. Have the retirement claim number (CSA or CSF number) or Social Security number ready before calling.
Phone
Fax & Mail
Retirement Operations Center
Post Office Box 45
Boyers, PA 16017
OPM Retirement Services — hours of operation
Calls to report a death or initiate survivor benefits should be made during business hours. OPM's schedule varies by day of the week.
| Days | Hours (Eastern Time) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Monday – Thursday | 7:40 AM – 5:00 PM | Best chance of getting through — call at opening or an hour before close |
| Friday | 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM | Shorter window — call in the morning to avoid end-of-day hold times |
| Saturday – Sunday | Closed | Email available anytime but expect 15+ day response time |
Who reports &
what to expect.
The process for reporting a death differs depending on whether the deceased was a federal retiree receiving an annuity, or an active federal employee still working at the time of death.
Retirees and survivor annuitants
Survivors, family members, and estate representatives can report the death of a federal retiree or annuitant directly to OPM by phone at 1-888-767-6738 or email at retire@opm.gov. OPM will send the forms needed to file for life insurance (FEGLI) and provide further instructions for continuing or stopping annuity payments.
Active federal employees
If the deceased was still an active federal employee at the time of death (not yet retired), survivors must contact and work through the employee's agency personnel office — not OPM directly. The personnel office will coordinate the death benefits process, including any FEGLI life insurance claims and survivor benefit elections.
OPM online services for annuitants
Federal retirees and surviving annuitants can manage many account functions online at servicesonline.opm.gov. To access this site, you need a user ID from OPM. Call 1-888-767-6738 and provide your CSA number — OPM will send you a user ID and password.
Life insurance claims
& OPM links.
Official OPM pages for reporting a death, filing FEGLI life insurance claims, and managing survivor benefits.