5 C.F.R. § 1651.14 How payment is made.
Title 5 - Administrative Personnel
(a) Notice. The TSP record keeper will send notice of pending payment to each beneficiary. (b) Payment. Payment is made separately to each entitled beneficiary. The TSP will send the payment to the address that is provided on the participant's TSP designation of beneficiary form unless the TSP receives written notice of a more recent address. All beneficiaries must provide the TSP record keeper with a taxpayer identification number; i.e., Social Security number (SSN), employee identification number (EIN), or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN), as appropriate. (c) Payment to the participant's spouse. The spouse of the participant may request that the TSP transfer all or a portion of the payment to a traditional IRA or eligible employer plan (including the spouse's TSP account, if he or she already has one). A transfer to a spouse's TSP account is permitted only if the spouse is not receiving monthly payments from the account. In order to request such a transfer, a spouse must use the transfer form provided by the TSP. (d) Payment to minor child or incompetent beneficiary. Payment will be made in the name of a minor child or incompetent beneficiary. A parent or other guardian may direct where the payment should be sent and may make any permitted tax withholding election. A guardian of a minor child or incompetent beneficiary must submit court documen tation showing his or her appointment as guardian. (e) Payment to executor or administrator. If payment is to the executor or administrator of an estate, the check will be made payable to the estate of the deceased participant, not to the executor or administrator. A TIN must be provided for all estates. (f) Payment to trust. If payment is to a trust, the payment will be made payable to the trust and mailed in care of the trustee. A TIN must be provided for the trust. (g) If a death benefit payment is returned as undeliverable, the TSP record keeper will attempt to contact the beneficiary. If the beneficiary does not respond within 60 days, the TSP will forfeit the death benefit payment to the Plan. The beneficiary can claim the forfeited funds, although they will not be credited with TSP investment returns. (h) A properly paid death benefit payment cannot be returned to the TSP. [62 FR 32429, June 13, 1997, as amended at 67 FR 49527, July 30, 2002; 68 FR 35510, June 13, 2003; 68 FR 74451, Dec. 23, 2003; 70 FR 32217, June 1, 2005]
Title 5: Administrative Personnel
PART 1651—DEATH BENEFITS
§ 1651.14 How payment is made.
