“Benefit Beneficiaries”

By Jacob Morgan, Insurance Officer

Many letter carriers pride ourselves on our ability to prepare for the unexpected on a day-to-day basis at work, but how many of us are prepared for the unexpected life events that may happen? There are many sudden events which affect our families in unfortunate or tragic ways. The one certain way that we can prepare for some of these tragic events is to ensure that our beneficiaries are up to date and accurate.

When I got hired as a CCA over ten years ago, I understood very little about all the benefits that we receive upon becoming career status. I was receiving a large amount of new information that I wasn’t sure how to process or manage. I was familiar with the idea of beneficiaries but didn’t bother with filling out any forms for longer than I’m proud to admit. Over my time as the Insurance Officer for Branch 1111, I have heard a few unfortunate stories of carriers who went through a divorce, got remarried, and then eventually passed away that never updated their beneficiaries. As a result, their widow(er) didn’t receive any of the benefit payouts that they worked for years to build up because it all went to the carrier’s ex-spouse still listed on the beneficiary form.

What might prompt you to submit and/or update your beneficiaries?

1. Marriage, legal separation, divorce, or death of a spouse, child, parent, or other designated beneficiary or person in the order of precedence.

2. Court order changes that govern payout of your benefits.

3. Name and/or address change of a designated beneficiary

4. Serious health issues or mental incompetence of a designated beneficiary or person in the order of precedence. (list pulled from HRSSC)

If you do not have a valid beneficiary form (for postal benefits) on file, benefits will be paid in the order of precedence as noted on the beneficiary forms. The main beneficiary forms for postal employees are the following:

1. Unpaid Compensation of Deceased Civilian Employee

2. Civil Service Retirement System

3. Federal Employees Retirement System

4. Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program

5. Thrift Savings Plan

I would strongly encourage you to review them and see if the order of precedence is of your liking, otherwise fill out an updated form and send it in to the designated address. Not sure where to find the beneficiary forms? You can go to Liteblue or contact HRSSC (Shared Services) to get a form to fill out. On Liteblue’s HRSSC website, you can select “Benefits” then “Access Beneficiary Forms” then “Help with choosing a form” to get an in-depth description of the reason the beneficiary form is needed, where to submit them, and a link to a fillable pdf that you can save on your personal devices. www.tsp.gov would be where TSP beneficiary forms are available.

Set yourself and your family up to be prepared for the unfortunate yet inevitable.