OPM Revives Paperwork for Rolling Over a Federal Death Benefit
Published Date: 10/19/2026
Notice
Summary
The Office of Personnel Management is bringing back a form that helps surviving spouses and former spouses of federal employees roll over death benefit payments into retirement accounts like IRAs or the Thrift Savings Plan. They want your feedback by December 18, 2026, to make sure the process is clear and easy. This update keeps the benefits flowing smoothly without extra hassle or cost.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Form restored to permit death benefit rollovers
The Office of Personnel Management reinstated form RI 94-7 so FERS surviving spouses and former spouses can elect payment of rollover-eligible death benefits directly or roll them into an Individual Retirement Arrangement (IRA), an eligible employer plan, or a Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) account. OPM is seeking public comment on this information collection (OMB No. 3206-0218) through December 18, 2026.
Time burden to complete reinstated form
OPM estimates that 3,444 individuals will respond to this collection and that each respondent will spend about 1 hour completing the RI 94-7 form, for a total of 3,444 burden hours. Comments on the collection are accepted through December 18, 2026.
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