Marriage/Divorce
Marriage After Retirement
Providing a Survivor Benefit if you Get Married After Retirement
If you get married after retirement, you can elect a reduced annuity to provide
a survivor annuity for your spouse. You must make this election within
two years of the date of your marriage.
Under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS):
You can elect any portion of your annuity as the base for the survivor benefit
payable in the event of your death. The survivor benefit will be 55% of
the base elected.
Under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS):
You can elect either:
- a full survivor benefit (50% of your unreduced annual basic benefit), or
- a partial survivor benefit (25% of your unreduced annual basic benefit).
If you remarry the same person to whom you were married at retirement, you
cannot elect a survivor annuity greater than the one you elected at retirement.
There will be two reductions in your annuity if you elect to provide
the survivor benefit:
- The regular reduction to provide the survivor benefit which depends on
the amount you elect for the survivor annuity. This reduction is computed
as follows:
- Under FERS –
- 10% of your basic annuity for full survivor benefit
- 5% of your basic annuity for partial survivor benefit
- Under CSRS –
- 2.5% of the first $3600 of your basic annuity, and 10% of the remainder
of your basic annuity, up to the amount you have chosen as the base
for the survivor benefit
AND
- A permanent actuarial reduction equal to the difference between the new
annuity rate with the survivor benefit and the old one without the survivor
benefit since your retirement, plus 6 percent interest. The actuarial reduction
continues even if the marriage ends.
How to provide a survivor benefit for a spouse married after retirement
Write to OPM and send us a copy of your
marriage certificate showing the date of the marriage and the name of your spouse.
We will send you information about the cost of the benefit and ask you
to confirm your election.
Changing your health benefits enrollment due to a marriage after retirement
To change to a family health benefits enrollment, call
OPM anytime from 31 days before your marriage to 60 days afterward.
Otherwise, you will have to wait until the next health benefits open season
to make the change. If you already have a family plan, contact the health
benefits carrier to include your spouse in the coverage.
You may also want to change your designations of beneficiary for life
insurance or for retirement
These designations must be in writing on the forms we provide. You can
print copies of these designation forms from our website,
or call us or send email to ask for the
forms.
Life Insurance designation form:
SF 2823 [120 KB],
Designation of Beneficiary/Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program
Retirement System designation forms (for any money in the retirement
fund remaining upon your death and any unpaid annuity):
SF 2808 [230 KB],
Designation of Beneficiary/Civil Service Retirement System
SF 3102 [660 KB],
Designation of Beneficiary/Federal Employees Retirement System
Divorce After Retirement
If You Get Divorced After Retirement-
Notify OPM of the divorce
If your annuity is currently reduced to provide a survivor benefit for your
spouse, the reduction will be eliminated, unless your divorce decree (Court
Order) says that you must continue to provide a survivor annuity for your former
spouse. Mail a certified copy of the entire court order and all attachments
to OPM.
You May Need to Change Your Health Benefits Enrollment
Health Benefits coverage for your former spouse:
When you divorce, your spouse is no longer a family member and cannot be covered
under your family health benefits enrollment. Your children can continue
to be covered. If there are no children, you should change to a self-only
plan. Your court order may instruct you to continue to provide health
benefits for your former spouse. Contact
OPM to find our how to arrange for this coverage. If your court order
does not instruct you to continue to provide health benefits coverage, your
former spouse may qualify for temporary
continuation of coverage for up to 36 months. If this temporary coverage
is needed, you or your former spouse must contact
us within 60 days after the divorce.
Health Benefits coverage for your children:
Your children can continue to be covered by your health benefits plan after
your divorce. A court order may instruct you to provide health benefits
coverage for your children. If you are subject to such an order, you cannot
change your coverage from family to a self-only plan. You must enroll
in a family plan that provides full benefits for the children in the area where
they live. This applies to you as long as the court order is in effect.
You may want to change your designations of beneficiary for life insurance
or for retirement
These designations must be in writing on the forms we provide. You can
print copies of these designation forms from our website,
or call us or send email to ask
for the forms.
Life Insurance designation form:
SF 2823 [120 KB],
Designation of Beneficiary/Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program
Retirement System designation forms (for any money in the retirement
fund remaining upon your death and any unpaid annuity):
SF 2808 [230 KB],
Designation of Beneficiary/Civil Service Retirement System
SF 3102 [659 KB],
Designation of Beneficiary/Federal Employees Retirement System
Providing a Survivor Benefit for your Former Spouse if you get divorced
after retirement
If your marriage ends after retirement, you can elect a reduced annuity to
provide a survivor benefit for your former spouse.
How to Make This Election-
You must notify OPM in writing within
two years of the date the marriage ended. You should include a court-certified
copy of the decree effecting the dissolution of the marriage, and any property
or marital settlement agreement. Send this information to OPM.
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Retirement Operations Center
Post Office Box 45
Boyers, PA 16017
Amount of Survivor Benefit-
- Under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS):
- You can elect any portion of your annuity, up to 55% of your unreduced
annual basic benefit, as a basis for the survivor benefit payable in the
event of your death.
- Under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS):
- You can elect either-
- a full survivor benefit (50% of your unreduced annual basic benefit),
or
- a partial survivor benefit (25% of your unreduced annual basic
benefit).
There will be two reductions in your annuity if you elect to provide
the survivor benefit:
- The usual reduction to provide the survivor benefit which depends on the
amount you elect for the survivor annuity. This reduction is computed
as follows-
- Under FERS -- 10% of your basic annuity for full survivor benefit
5% of your basic annuity for partial survivor benefit
- Under CSRS -- 2.5% of the first $3600 of your basic annuity and 10%
of the remainder of your basic annuity, up to the amount you have chosen
as the base for the survivor benefit.
AND
- A permanent actuarial reduction equal to the difference between the new
annuity rate with the survivor benefit and the old rate without the survivor
benefit since your retirement, plus 6 percent interest. The actuarial
reduction continues even if the marriage ends.
If you were married to the former spouse when you retired and he/she consented
to an election of less than the maximum survivor benefit, you cannot provide
a benefit that is larger than your original election.