The Survivor Benefit Plan Book
Understand the Election. Protect the Annuity. One Plan, Two Readers.
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About this book
Military retired pay stops on the date the retiree dies. The Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) is the one choice in the retirement packet that can turn part of it into a monthly annuity for a survivor, and once retired pay starts, that choice is close to permanent. SBP is a Department of Defense program run by DFAS, not a VA benefit, and the help with it is free.
This book is written for two readers at once. The retiree learns what the election locks in, how the base amount and the premium work, who the annuity can go to, and why declining, a reduced base, or child-only coverage needs the spouse's notarized consent. The survivor learns how to report the death to DFAS, which form starts the annuity, and what changed when the SBP-DIC offset ended. It also covers the one-year deadline for a former spouse's deemed election and the scams that target retirees and widows.
Inside this book:
The book points you to its free field guide, The First Weeks as a Survivor (a free download, no signup).
Inside this book
- 1What the Survivor Benefit Plan Actually Is
- 2The Decision at Retirement
- 3Why Your Spouse Has to Sign
- 4Who the Annuity Can Go To
- 5What It Costs and How the Premium Works
- 6SBP and the VA: the DIC Offset Repeal and What Changed
- 7The Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance (SSIA)
- 8Divorce and SBP: the Former-Spouse Election and the One-Year Deemed-Election Window
- 9Open Seasons and the Few Ways an Election Can Change
- 10When the Retiree Dies: Claiming the Annuity at DFAS
- 11Being the Annuitant: Taxes, Certifications, and Keeping It Running
- 12SBP Alongside Everything Else
- 13The Whole Decision, and the Whole Claim, on Two Pages
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J. Erickson
Author, educator, former veteran service officer.
J. Erickson is a service-disabled Air Force veteran. He served as a military firefighter and as a veteran service officer, where he spent years walking veterans through the same claims process he writes about now. He holds an MBA and writes plain-language guides for veterans who want to understand the system without a translator.
Read more about the author