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OPM.gov / Frequently Asked Questions / Insure FAQ / Life
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Life

Questions and answers



No, you do not have to complete a designation form. 

When you die, the Office of Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (OFEGLI) will pay life insurance benefits in a particular order set by law:

If you assigned ownership of your life insurance by filing an Assignment, Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (RI 76-10), OFEGLI will pay benefits:

  • First, to the beneficiary(ies) designated by your assignee(s), if any;
  • Second, if there is no such beneficiary, to your assignee(s).
If you did not assign ownership and there is a valid court order on file, OFEGLI will pay benefits in accordance with that court order.

If you did not assign ownership and there is no valid court order on file, OFEGLI will pay benefits:

  • First, to the beneficiary(ies) you designated;
  • Second, if there is no such beneficiary, to your widow or widower;
  • Third, if none of the above, to your child or children, with the share of any deceased child distributed among descendants of that child (a court will usually have to appoint a guardian to receive payment for a minor child);
  • Fourth, if none of the above, to your parents in equal shares or the entire amount to your surviving parent;
  • Fifth, if none of the above, to the executor or administrator of your estate;
  • Sixth, if none of the above, to your other next of kin as determined under the laws of the state where you lived. 
If you did not assign your insurance and there isn't a valid court order on file, and you are not satisfied with the order of precedence described above, you should complete a designation form and indicate how you want OFEGLI to pay the benefits.
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