Notifying the TSP when someone dies
Family member is responsible for notifying the TSP
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
A death benefits claim typically takes 30-45 days to process after the participant's information is verified and beneficiaries are identified. Each identified beneficiary then receives a Confirmation of Beneficiary Asset Transfer notice by mail.
When someone dies, the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) must be notified. The family member is responsible for notifying the TSP.
Notification 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..
Steps to take
Steps for notifying the TSP and applying for survivor benefits:
- •If the participant was a current federal employee or service member, the employing agency or uniformed service notifies the TSP automatically
- •If the participant was retired or separated, either call the ThriftLine Service Center at 1-877-968-3778 and then mail a copy of the certified death certificate, or mail a letter with the required participant information plus the death certificate (see https://www.tsp.gov/death-and-beneficiary-support/reporting-a-participant-death/)
- •Form TSP-17 is no longer used to report a death -- it is obsolete under TSP Bulletin 23-2 (https://www.tsp.gov/bulletins/23-2/)
- •The certified death certificate is required and 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
- •Mail documents to: TSP Death Benefits, ThriftLine Service Center, C/O Broadridge Processing, PO Box 1600, Newark, NJ 07101-1600
- •1. Surviving spouse
- •2. Children equally (with descendants of deceased children by representation)
- •3. Parents equally, or the surviving parent
- •4. Executor or administrator of the estate
- •5. Next of kin under state law
- •Surviving spouses with a share of $200 or more receive a Beneficiary Participant Account (BPA) automatically; shares under $200 are paid out directly
- •Non-spouse beneficiaries have 90 days to request payment; if no action is taken, the TSP sends the full balance as a lump sum on the 90th day or the next business day
- •Non-spouse distributions can be rolled over to an inherited IRA via direct rollover only
- •The TSP mails each identified beneficiary a Confirmation of Beneficiary Asset Transfer notice and establishes a temporary or beneficiary participant account; a death benefits claim typically takes 30-45 days to process after the participant's information is verified and beneficiaries are identified
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate (with official seal or stamp, date of death, cause and manner of death, and registrar's signature and date)
- Participant's date of death and mailing address
- Last four digits of the participant's Social Security number
- Participant's marital status at the time of death, and the surviving spouse's full name if married
- Beneficiary's Social Security number (or the estate/trust Employer Identification Number)
- Bank account information for direct deposit
Timeline
A death benefits claim typically takes 30-45 days to process after the participant's information is verified and beneficiaries are identified. Each identified beneficiary then receives a Confirmation of Beneficiary Asset Transfer notice by mail.
Survivor benefits
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.
Eligibility: Surviving spouse named in the participant's online beneficiary designation or entitled by statutory order of precedence, with a share of $200 or more for BPA establishment
Amount: Full or partial account balance, depending on beneficiary designation
How to apply: TSP establishes the BPA automatically after the death is reported and the certified death certificate is processed
Learn more →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.
Eligibility: Non-spouse beneficiary named in the participant's online beneficiary designation or entitled by statutory order of precedence
Amount: Full or partial account balance, depending on beneficiary designation
How to apply: TSP contacts non-spouse beneficiaries after processing; beneficiary requests distribution within 90 days
Learn more →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.
Eligibility: Designated beneficiary or statutory order of precedence
Amount: Varies based on account balance at time of death
How to apply: Processed automatically by the TSP after the death is reported and the certified death certificate is received
Frequently asked questions
Anyone can report the death. If the participant was a current federal employee or service member, the employing agency or uniformed service notifies the TSP automatically. If the participant was retired or separated, either call the ThriftLine Service Center at 1-877-968-3778 and then mail a copy of the certified death certificate, or mail a letter with the participant's date of death, mailing address, last four digits of the Social Security number, marital status, and (if married) the surviving spouse's name, along with the certified death certificate. The TSP cannot process a death benefits claim without the death certificate. Form TSP-17 is no longer used to report a death; it is obsolete under TSP Bulletin 23-2. Mail documents to TSP Death Benefits, ThriftLine Service Center, C/O Broadridge Processing, PO Box 1600, Newark, NJ 07101-1600.
A participant designates beneficiaries online by logging in to My Account at tsp.gov. The paper Form TSP-3 (Designation of Beneficiary) is obsolete under TSP Bulletin 23-2 -- designations are now handled through My Account. A will, trust, prenuptial agreement, separation agreement, property settlement, or court order does not override a TSP beneficiary designation. Only the beneficiary designation on file with the TSP at the time of death controls.
If no beneficiary designation is on file, the TSP pays the account according to the statutory order of precedence under 5 U.S.C. 8424(d): surviving spouse, then children equally (with a deceased child's share going to that child's descendants), then parents equally or the surviving parent, then the appointed executor or administrator of the estate, then next of kin under the law of the state where the participant resided. The reporting survivor is asked to complete an Unidentified Beneficiary Affidavit sent by the TSP.
When a surviving spouse inherits TSP funds and their share is $200 or more, the TSP automatically creates a Beneficiary Participant Account (BPA) in the spouse's name. If the share is less than $200, it is paid out directly. The transfer into a BPA is not taxable. The spouse can take single payments, monthly payments, or purchase a TSP life annuity from the BPA. Eligible distributions from a BPA can be rolled over to the spouse's own IRA or eligible employer plan. However, if the BPA holder later dies, death benefit payments from the BPA to secondary beneficiaries cannot be rolled over.
No. Non-spouse beneficiaries receive a temporary TSP account and have 90 days to request payment. If no action is taken within 90 days, the TSP automatically distributes the full balance as a lump sum. Non-spouse beneficiaries can roll the distribution over to an inherited IRA via direct rollover.
TSP distributions to beneficiaries are subject to federal income tax. The TSP withholds 20% of the taxable portion. Direct rollovers to a traditional IRA are not taxed in the year paid. Direct rollovers to a Roth IRA are taxable income. Distributions are reported on IRS Form 1099-R.
Under the SECURE Act, for participants who died after December 31, 2019, most non-spouse beneficiaries must distribute the entire inherited balance within 10 years. Exceptions apply for spouses, minor children, disabled individuals, and beneficiaries not more than 10 years younger than the participant.
Yes. Spouse beneficiary participants must take RMDs based on the date the deceased participant would have reached their applicable RMD age (73 for those born 1951-1958, 75 for those born after 1958). Under SECURE 2.0, Roth balances are no longer subject to RMDs prior to the participant's death, so the RMD calculation includes only the traditional balance and only traditional-balance distributions count toward satisfying the requirement. SECURE 2.0 reduced the excise tax for missed RMDs from 50% to 25%, and further to 10% if corrected within two years.
After completing the notification process, eligible survivors can apply for 3 benefits through the TSP. Each benefit has its own eligibility requirements and application process.
Keep copies of all documents submitted to the TSP. Original documents submitted for verification are typically returned after processing.
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
A death benefits claim typically takes 30-45 days to process after the participant's information is verified and beneficiaries are identified. Each identified beneficiary then receives a Confirmation of Beneficiary Asset Transfer notice by mail.