Retiree VP Voice

BY JOHN K. NALAND

While many things happening today are out of our control, one thing we can do is ensure that our next of kin know how to obtain survivor benefits when we die.

When an active-duty Foreign Service member dies, their agency initiates the process of authorizing survivor benefits. When a Foreign Service retiree dies, however, their next of kin must take the first step.

But many family members are unfamiliar with offices and functions in Foreign Service agencies, so survivors often do not know where to start. And after the State Department terminates the deceased retiree’s pension, survivors can sometimes go for months without income while they attempt to figure out and follow the process to apply for a survivor annuity.

AFSA created a list of seven steps to take in the event of the death of a Foreign Service retiree.

To assist survivors with quickly initiating the necessary actions, AFSA created a list of seven steps to take in the event of the death of a Foreign Service retiree. The steps include contacting the State Department’s Human Resources Service Center, filing claims for Thrift Savings Plan and Federal Employees Group Life Insurance benefits, and notifying AFSA.

The complete checklist can be found in the 2025 AFSA Directory of Retired Members on pages 24 and 25. A one-page version is posted at https://afsa.org/retirement in the section “What Surviving Spouses and Children Need to Know.” We suggest that retirees download and print the checklist (perhaps on a brightly colored sheet of paper), show it to your next of kin, and leave it in a place where they can easily find it if the need arises.