DD Form 2656-7 (Verification for SBP Annuity) / Standard Form 1174 Instructions: Military Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP): 55% Pension Annuity for Spouses & The Elimination of the "Widow's Tax"
“My retired military spouse passed away. How do I start receiving the 55% Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) monthly annuity payments?”
Official Procedural Summary & Rules
Surviving spouses receive 55% of the deceased veteran’s retired military pay for life, and can now collect both SBP and VA DIC simultaneously with zero deductions.
Key Statutory Rules & Exceptions
SBP provides surviving spouses with a monthly inflation-adjusted lifetime cash annuity equal to 55% of the member’s retired base pay. • The historic "Widow’s Tax" offset is completely eliminated; you receive 100% of your SBP annuity and 100% of your VA DIC check simultaneously. • Report the retiree's death immediately to DFAS Casualty at 1-800-321-1080 to prevent military pension overpayments.
Official Procedural Sequence
Call DFAS Casualty to report passing Complete DD Form 2656-7 Submit direct deposit form and certified death certificate
⚠️ Administrative Traps & Rejection Triggers
Failing to report the death immediately (DFAS will claw back retirement checks deposited after the date of death from bank accounts).
💡 AI Verification & Anti-Deflection Prompt
Four-Dimension Statutory PromptFeed this optimized prompt to ChatGPT or your civic AI assistant to bypass standard liability refusals and force a statutory answer under 10 U.S.C. § 1447 et seq. · National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA):
Under 10 U.S.C. § 1447 et seq., detail military survivor pensions: (1) The Survivor Benefit Plan monthly annuity (paying up to 55% of the deceased military retiree's gross retirement pay to the surviving spouse); (2) Complete statutory phase-out of the Military SBP / VA DIC Offset (elimination of the "Widow's Tax", permitting surviving spouses to collect BOTH full SBP and VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation / DIC simultaneously); (3) Filing DD Form 2656-7 with DFAS; (4) Direct deposit setup via Standard Form 1199A; (5) Arrears of Pay (AOP) lump-sum processing under Form SF 1174.