At retirement, a married FERS employee chooses a survivor annuity for their spouse: a full benefit of 50 percent of the unreduced pension, which costs 10 percent of it, a partial benefit of 25 percent, which costs 5 percent, or none with the spouse's notarized consent. Only a spouse who receives a survivor annuity, and who is covered under your Self Plus One or Self and Family enrollment when you die, can keep FEHB (OPM, retrieved 2026-10-12).
Of all the boxes on a federal retirement application, this is the one to slow down for. Most of your retirement choices can be revisited. You can move TSP money, switch health plans in open season, and change your tax withholding. The survivor election is different. You make it once, at retirement, and in most cases it stays made.
Think of it as an umbrella you buy for someone else. You pay for it every month out of your own pension. If it never rains, it can feel like a cost with nothing to show. If it does rain, it decides whether your spouse has income and health insurance for the rest of their life. This guide explains what the election pays, what it costs, how it connects to FEHB, and what happens if you die while still working.
01What survivor benefit can you elect under FERS?
Under FERS, a married retiree can elect a full survivor annuity of 50 percent of the unreduced annuity, a partial survivor annuity of 25 percent, or no survivor annuity (OPM, retrieved 2026-10-11). The full and partial elections reduce your own annuity by 10 percent and 5 percent.
| Election | Your annuity is reduced by | Your spouse receives |
|---|---|---|
| Full survivor annuity | 10% | 50% of your unreduced annuity |
| Partial survivor annuity | 5% | 25% of your unreduced annuity |
| No survivor annuity | Nothing | Nothing from the annuity, and no FEHB continuation |
Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management, FERS computation and survivors pages, retrieved 2026-10-11.
Notice the word "unreduced." Your spouse's share is figured on your annuity before the survivor cost comes out, so the full election always pays half of the original amount, not half of what you actually receive.
Anything less than a full survivor annuity requires your spouse's notarized consent. That rule exists to make sure both people understand what they are giving up.
- Survivor annuityA monthly payment to your spouse for life after you die, funded by a reduction in your own annuity.
- Full survivor annuity50 percent of your unreduced annuity, costing 10 percent of it.
- Partial survivor annuity25 percent of your unreduced annuity, costing 5 percent of it.
- Spousal consentA notarized waiver your spouse signs if you elect less than the full benefit.
- Insurable interest annuityA survivor annuity for someone other than a current spouse who has a financial stake in your life.
- Former spouse annuityA survivor benefit for an ex-spouse, usually required by a court order.
02What does the survivor election cost in dollars?
The cost is a flat percentage of your annuity, so it grows with your pension: 10 percent of the annuity for a full election and 5 percent for a partial one (OPM, retrieved 2026-10-11). Here is what that looks like on one example.
Put another way, the full election costs $3,600 a year in this example and pays a survivor $18,000 a year. Whether that trade makes sense depends on your ages, your health, and what other income your spouse would have. The FERS pension estimator shows your own annuity with and without the election.
03Why does the survivor election decide your spouse's FEHB?
The survivor election decides FEHB because a surviving spouse can only continue Federal Employees Health Benefits coverage if they receive a survivor annuity and were covered under your Self Plus One or Self and Family enrollment at your death (OPM BAL 15-209, retrieved 2026-10-12). Decline the election, die first, and your spouse loses federal health coverage along with the income.
This is the link most people miss. A couple looks at the numbers, decides the spouse has enough income from their own job or savings, and declines the survivor annuity to keep a larger monthly check. Years later, the retiree dies, and the spouse learns that their health insurance ended too.
A survivor annuity is health insurance in disguise. Even a partial election keeps the door to FEHB open for your spouse, provided your spouse is covered under your Self Plus One or Self and Family enrollment at your death.
Because even the partial election can preserve FEHB eligibility, compare the partial and full elections with the FEHB consequence in view. The choice belongs to each household. The FEHB guide explains how coverage continues for survivors.
04What are the rules on marriage, remarriage and former spouses?
Survivor annuity rules turn on how long you were married and whether the survivor remarries. A spouse generally qualifies if you were married at least nine months before your death, or if you had a child together, and a former spouse's benefit generally requires a qualifying court order on file with OPM (OPM, retrieved 2026-10-11).
- Marriage length. A surviving spouse generally needs at least nine months of marriage, unless there is a child of the marriage or the death was accidental.
- Remarriage before 55. A survivor who remarries before age 55 generally loses the annuity; remarriage at 55 or later generally does not end it.
- Former spouses. A court order can require you to provide a survivor annuity for a former spouse. That benefit counts against the total you can provide, which can limit what is left for a current spouse.
- Marriage after retirement. If you marry after you retire, OPM allows a limited window to elect a survivor annuity for the new spouse. Ask OPM for the deadline that applies to you.
Divorce adds its own layer, because a court order can split both the annuity and the survivor benefit. The divorce and benefits guide covers how court orders work with OPM.
05What is an insurable interest annuity?
An insurable interest annuity lets you provide a survivor benefit to someone other than a current spouse who has a financial interest in your continued life, such as a former spouse, a child, a sibling or a parent, if you are in good health at retirement (OPM, retrieved 2026-10-11). The cost depends on how much younger the person is than you.
| Age of the person you name | Reduction to your annuity |
|---|---|
| Older, the same age, or less than 5 years younger | 10% |
| 5 to 9 years younger | 15% |
| 10 to 14 years younger | 20% |
| 15 to 19 years younger | 25% |
| 20 to 24 years younger | 30% |
| 25 to 29 years younger | 35% |
| 30 or more years younger | 40% |
Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management, insurable interest reduction FAQ, retrieved 2026-10-11.
The person you name receives a share of your reduced annuity. OPM generally requires medical documentation of good health for this election. It is a specialized tool, and the details are worth confirming with OPM before you rely on it.
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06What happens if you die while still working?
If a FERS employee dies while still employed, a surviving spouse may receive the basic employee death benefit after 18 months of creditable civilian service, and a monthly survivor annuity as well after 10 years (OPM, retrieved 2026-10-11).
The basic employee death benefit, often shortened to BEDB, is a lump sum of 50 percent of the employee's final salary or high-3, whichever is higher, plus a fixed amount that started at $15,000 and is adjusted each year by the CSRS COLA. For deaths on or after December 1, 2025, that indexed amount is $43,800.53 (OPM, retrieved 2026-10-11). The spouse can generally take it as a single payment or in 36 monthly installments.
With at least 10 years of service, the spouse also receives a monthly survivor annuity of 50 percent of the basic annuity the employee had earned, figured without the age reduction. Children may also qualify for benefits. Survivors apply using SF 3104, the application for death benefits under FERS.
07What should survivors do when a federal retiree dies?
When a federal retiree dies, survivors should report the death to OPM Retirement Services, which stops the annuity and starts any survivor benefit, and separately notify the TSP if there is a balance (OPM, retrieved 2026-07-05). Life insurance claims under FEGLI go through the Office of Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance.
- 01
Report the death to OPM
OPM stops the retiree's annuity and begins processing the survivor annuity.
- 02
Expect a possible overpayment notice
An annuity payment issued after the date of death may need to be returned.
- 03
Contact the TSP
The account passes to beneficiaries under the TSP's own rules and designations.
- 04
File the FEGLI claim
If the retiree carried federal life insurance, file with OFEGLI.
- 05
Confirm FEHB
If a survivor annuity is in place, confirm health coverage continues under the survivor's name.
A current list of beneficiaries makes all of this easier. The beneficiaries guide explains the separate designation forms for FERS, TSP and FEGLI, and the FEGLI guide explains how the life insurance pays out.
08How do you decide which election is right for you?
The right election depends on your spouse's other income, their health coverage options, your ages and health, and whether you would rather pay for protection monthly or rely on savings and insurance instead. There is no single right answer, but there are good questions to ask.
- Would your spouse need FEHB? If yes, at least a partial election keeps that door open, provided your spouse is covered under your Self Plus One or Self and Family enrollment at your death.
- Would your spouse need the income? Compare 25 percent and 50 percent of your unreduced annuity against their budget.
- Who is likely to outlive whom? Age gaps and health history matter here.
- What else is in place? TSP balances, life insurance and Social Security survivor benefits all play a role.
- Have you both read the consent form? If you elect less than full, your spouse signs a notarized waiver.
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The survivor election interacts with the rest of your pension. The FERS annuity guide shows where the 10 percent or 5 percent cost comes out, and the eligibility guide explains which retirement types pay an immediate annuity. If one of you is under CSRS, the CSRS guide covers its different survivor rules. The FERS hub connects all of it.
09Moving forward with the survivor decision
The survivor election is one of the few federal benefit choices that cannot easily be undone. It costs real money every month, and it can protect a spouse's income and health coverage for decades. It is worth deciding together, with the numbers on the table.
FFEBA is an education organization. If you want someone to look at your own numbers, we can match you with a Federal Retirement Consultant (FRC), a professional trained on federal benefits. The FRC designation is listed with FINRA. The first review is free, nothing is booked until you choose a time, and you are never obligated to work with anyone we introduce. Get matched with an FRC.
10Questions federal employees ask
How much does the FERS survivor benefit cost?
A full survivor annuity reduces your pension by 10 percent and pays your spouse 50 percent of your unreduced annuity. A partial survivor annuity reduces your pension by 5 percent and pays 25 percent (OPM, retrieved 2026-10-11).
Can my spouse keep FEHB if I decline the survivor benefit?
Generally no. A surviving spouse can only continue FEHB coverage if they receive a survivor annuity and were covered under your Self Plus One or Self and Family enrollment when you die (OPM, retrieved 2026-10-12). If you decline the election and die first, your spouse loses eligibility for federal health coverage along with the income.
Does my spouse have to agree if I choose less than a full survivor annuity?
Yes. Electing a partial survivor annuity or none at all requires your spouse's notarized consent, unless OPM waives it in narrow circumstances such as when the spouse cannot be located.
What is the FERS basic employee death benefit?
If a FERS employee with at least 18 months of civilian service dies while still working, an eligible spouse can receive a lump sum of 50 percent of final salary or high-3, whichever is higher, plus an indexed amount that was $43,800.53 for deaths on or after December 1, 2025 (OPM, retrieved 2026-10-11).
Can I change my survivor election after I retire?
Only in narrow cases, such as a marriage after retirement, a divorce or the death of the spouse. A decision to reduce or decline coverage at retirement generally becomes permanent, so treat it as a one-time choice.
Can I name someone other than my spouse as a survivor?
Yes, through an insurable interest annuity, if you are in good health and the person has a financial interest in your life. The reduction runs from 10 percent to 40 percent of your annuity depending on how much younger the person is (OPM, retrieved 2026-10-11).
Reviewed by the FFEBA education team. Last reviewed October 2026.
Sources
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Benefits Administration Letter 15-209 (FEHB continuation for survivors, Self Plus One), retrieved 2026-10-12
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management, what happens to FEHB if I die (health tab), retrieved 2026-10-12
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management, FERS survivors, retrieved 2026-10-11
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management, FERS computation (survivor reductions), retrieved 2026-10-11
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management, how the insurable interest reduction is calculated, retrieved 2026-10-11
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Benefits Administration Letter 26-101 (annual changes, BEDB indexing), retrieved 2026-10-11
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management, FEHB in retirement, retrieved 2026-07-05
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management, reporting a death, retrieved 2026-07-05
Every government figure on this page carries its source and retrieval date. Worked examples are educational estimates on the assumptions shown, not a projection of any person's benefit. FFEBA is an education organization, not a financial advisor.
