Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)
Death notification, 3 survivor benefits, and required documents
ThriftLine
ThriftLine Service Center C/O Broadridge Processing PO Box 1600 Newark, NJ 07101-1600 For overnight delivery: 2 Gateway Center, 283-299 Market Street, 17th Floor Newark, NJ 07102
Death Benefits / ThriftLine
Death Reporting / ThriftLine
The Thrift Savings Plan is a retirement savings plan for federal employees and uniformed service members, similar to a private-sector 401(k). When a TSP participant dies, the account balance is paid to designated beneficiaries or, if none, according to the statutory order of precedence. Surviving spouses receive a Beneficiary Participant Account; non-spouse beneficiaries receive a distribution.
Death notification
Anyone can report a TSP participant's death. If the participant was still actively employed, their agency or uniformed service notifies the TSP of the death. For a retired or separated participant, the family or beneficiary reports the death directly to the TSP. The TSP no longer uses Form TSP-17 for this (it is obsolete per Bulletin 23-2). There are two ways to report: (1) call the ThriftLine Service Center at 1-877-968-3778 and then mail a copy of the certified death certificate, or (2) mail a letter containing the participant's date of death, mailing address, last four digits of the Social Security number, marital status at the time of death, and, if married, the surviving spouse's full name, along with a copy of the certified death certificate. The TSP cannot process a death benefits claim without a legible copy of the certified death certificate; it must show an official seal or stamp, date of death, cause and manner of death, and the registrar's signature and date (foreign death certificates must be translated to English). The TSP then reviews any beneficiary designation on file to identify beneficiaries; if none is on file, the account is paid according to the statutory order of precedence under 5 U.S.C. 8424(d), and the reporting survivor is asked to complete an Unidentified Beneficiary Affidavit.
Deadline: No statutory deadline; report and submit the certified death certificate as soon as possible. Once beneficiaries are identified, non-spouse beneficiaries have 90 days to request payment before the TSP distributes automatically.
Survivor benefits
The TSP offers 3 benefits for surviving family members.
Beneficiary Participant Account (Surviving Spouse)
When a surviving spouse is entitled to all or part of the TSP account and their share is $200 or more, the TSP automatically establishes a Beneficiary Participant Account (BPA) in the spouse's name. This is not a taxable event. The spouse can take single payments, monthly payments, or purchase a TSP life annuity. Eligible distributions from a BPA can be rolled over to the spouse's own IRA or eligible employer plan. If the spouse's share is less than $200, it is paid out directly and no BPA is established.
Amount: Full or partial account balance, depending on beneficiary designation
Non-Spouse Beneficiary Distribution
Non-spouse beneficiaries (children, parents, estate, etc.) cannot retain a TSP account. The TSP establishes a temporary account in the beneficiary's name and the beneficiary has 90 days to request payment — either paid directly or rolled into an inherited IRA via direct rollover. If no action is taken within 90 days, the TSP automatically distributes the full balance as a lump sum on the 90th day or the next business day. Under the SECURE Act, most non-spouse beneficiaries must distribute the entire inherited balance within 10 years for participants who died after December 31, 2019.
Amount: Full or partial account balance, depending on beneficiary designation
Unpaid Balance and Remaining Contributions
If the participant had contributions or loan payments in process at the time of death, the TSP processes the final balance and includes it in the death benefit distribution to beneficiaries.
Amount: Varies based on account balance at time of death
When someone dies
Notifying the TSP after a death
4-step process, 6 required documents, and 3 survivor benefits.
View details →Frequently asked questions
No. A will, trust, or court order does not override a TSP beneficiary designation. The TSP pays the account strictly according to the beneficiary designation on file (made online through My Account), or the statutory order of precedence if no designation exists.
ThriftLine
ThriftLine Service Center C/O Broadridge Processing PO Box 1600 Newark, NJ 07101-1600 For overnight delivery: 2 Gateway Center, 283-299 Market Street, 17th Floor Newark, NJ 07102
Death Benefits / ThriftLine
Death Reporting / ThriftLine