Helpful Information from DFAS: When the SBP Annuitant is a Minor Child
By DFAS Cleveland
The DOD Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) provides an ongoing monthly annuity payment to military spouses or dependent children when a military member dies while on active duty, on inactive duty in the line of duty, or after retirement (if the military retiree chooses to purchase such coverage).
If the military member was not married at the time of death, or the spouse is not eligible due to the spouse’s remarriage, or the spouse has passed away, the monthly SBP annuity payment can be paid to the eligible child or children.
When the SBP annuitant is a minor child, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), the agency in the Department of Defense that pays SBP annuities, will request a DD Form 2790 with the claim. This is the “Custodianship Certificate to Support Claim on Behalf of Minor Children of Deceased Members of the Armed Forces.” The person named as the Custodian on this form is able to act on behalf of the minor child in regards to their SBP annuity pay account.
Parents, guardians or legal custodians named on this form can legally make pay-related changes to the minor child’s account, as well as receive pay-related information in the mail, via email and via phone (e.g., if the custodian calls the DFAS Customer Care Center).
When the custodian calls the DFAS Customer Care Center, they will be required to answer verification questions regarding the pay account before the Customer Service Representative (CSR) can provide any information or make any changes to the pay account. The caller should identify themselves as the legal custodian of a minor child SBP annuitant, so the CSR knows to refer to the 2790 document to verify the custodian’s identity.
The custodian also needs to sign and submit any eligibility verifications needed on behalf of the minor child SBP annuitant.
DFAS recently made changes to simplify the annual eligibility verifications for all SBP annuitants. Please see our webpage, “Manage Your SBP Annuity” for helpful information: https://www.dfas.mil/managesbp.
