The children’s survivor annuity
No election needed. Paid to 18, or 22 for full-time students.
It doesn’t depend on your retirement survivor election. That election covers a spouse. An eligible child is entitled regardless.
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1. Who qualifies
When a FERS employee or retiree dies, a monthly survivor annuity is payable to each eligible child. The parent must have been a FERS annuitant, or an employee who completed at least 18 months of creditable civilian service.
The child must be unmarried, must have been dependent on the deceased, and must be one of these:
| Child | Paid until |
|---|---|
| Under 18 | 18 |
| 18 to 22 and a full-time student | 22, or when full-time study ends |
| 18 or older, incapable of self-support, disability began before 18 | As long as the disability continues |
"Dependent child" includes an adopted child, a stepchild who lived with the parent in a regular parent-child relationship, a recognized natural child, and a child born after the parent's death.
Unlike the spousal benefit, this one doesn't depend on the survivor election made at retirement. The spouse's options are in survivor benefit elections.
2. How much, and the Social Security offset
The children's annuity is a specific dollar amount set by a formula in federal law and raised each year by cost-of-living adjustments. OPM publishes the current rates, and the amount per child depends on how many eligible children there are and whether a parent survives.
Under FERS, the annuity is reduced by any Social Security child's benefit the child receives. Most FERS employees are fully insured for Social Security, so most children get a Social Security survivor benefit too. The two work together rather than adding up in full.
3. The transition at 18
This is the moment families most often miss.
The Social Security child's benefit generally ends at 18, or 19 if the child is still in high school. The OPM annuity, by contrast, can continue to 22 for a full-time student. When the Social Security payment stops, the offset stops too — so the OPM amount can go up at exactly the point the family expects income to fall.
- Certify full-time enrollment with OPM, through its student self-certification system or the school-attendance form.
- Grades don't matter, but full-time status does. A normal break between school years doesn't end eligibility.
- At 18, the student can ask OPM to pay them directly instead of the parent or guardian.
4. When it ends
The annuity stops on the last day of the month before the child:
- Turns 18, unless they are a full-time student or disabled
- Stops full-time study, or turns 22, if they are a student
- Marries
- Becomes capable of self-support, if they qualified through disability
- Dies
Notify OPM promptly when any of these happen. Payments that continue after eligibility ends become an overpayment; see OPM overpayments and waivers.
The annuity can continue for life, but it can affect SSI and Medicaid eligibility, and it can't be paid into a special needs trust. That planning is covered in the disabled adult child annuity.
5. How to apply
- The surviving parent or guardian applies on behalf of a minor child.
- Use SF-3104 under FERS, or SF-2800 under CSRS.
- Include documents: a birth or adoption certificate, guardianship papers if applicable, school certification for a student over 18, or medical evidence for a disabled child over 18.
- Apply for Social Security survivor benefits too. It's a separate application with the Social Security Administration.
For the wider set of steps after a death in the family, see the first year after losing a spouse, and for a death before retirement, death-in-service benefits.
6. Frequently asked questions
Who qualifies for a FERS children’s survivor annuity?
An unmarried child who was dependent on the deceased employee or retiree and is under 18, or is 18 to 22 and a full-time student, or is 18 or older and incapable of self-support because of a disability that began before 18. The deceased parent must have been a FERS annuitant, or an employee who completed at least 18 months of creditable civilian service.
Does my child get a survivor annuity even if I didn’t elect one at retirement?
Yes. The children’s survivor annuity does not depend on the survivor election you make at retirement. That election controls benefits for a spouse or former spouse. An eligible child is entitled under the statute regardless.
How much does a child receive?
The children’s survivor annuity is a specific dollar amount set by a formula in the United States Code and increased each year by cost-of-living adjustments. OPM publishes the current rates. Under FERS the amount is reduced by any Social Security child’s benefit the child receives, so the OPM payment and Social Security work together rather than stacking in full.
What happens when my child turns 18?
The annuity ends at 18 unless the child is a full-time student or disabled. A full-time student can keep receiving it until 22. Because the Social Security child’s benefit generally ends at 18, or 19 if still in high school, the OPM payment can increase at that point to make up for the lost offset. The student needs to certify full-time enrollment to OPM.
How do we apply?
The surviving parent or guardian applies on the child’s behalf using Standard Form 3104 under FERS, or SF-2800 under CSRS. Expect to provide a birth or adoption certificate, and for older children proof of full-time school attendance or medical evidence of a disability that began before 18.