Fill and Sign DD 2656 Forms

What Is the DD Form 2656 Series?

The DD 2656 Series is a set of nine forms related to the election, verification, and termination of the Survivor Benefit Plan.

The Survivor Benefit Plan - called the SBP for short - is a life insurance policy initiated by the Department of Defense (DoD) that provides monthly payments to eligible surviving spouses and dependent children of retired service members upon their death. The SBP, Reserve Component Survivor Benefit Plan (RCSBP), and Retired Serviceman's Family Protection Plan (RSFPP) provide elected beneficiaries with a monthly payment (or an annuity) for the rest of their life. The amount of the payment is a percentage of a service member’s retired pay based on their election.

Election to participate in any of these programs is made at the time of retirement. There are certain participation costs. In most cases, these are deducted from the retiree's monthly pay and vary depending on the number of elected benefits.

Military SBP Forms

• DD Form 2656, Data for Payment of Retired Personnel, provides relevant information needed to establish a retainer or retired pay account and information on dependents. The form is used to designate beneficiaries for unpaid retired pay, state tax withholding election, or establishing an SBP election;
• DD Form 2656-1, SBP Election Statement for Former Spouse Coverage, is a form used by spouses and former spouses of service members for purposes of providing information regarding SBP benefits. The completed forms are mailed to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) in Indianapolis, Indiana along with an official copy of the divorce decree, amendment, and any other applicable documentation described in the form. The election is considered invalid if not mailed to and received by the DFAS within a year after the date of the divorce;
• DD Form 2656-2, SBP Termination Request, is used to voluntarily discontinue participation in the SBP. There are both advantages and disadvantages to discontinuing SBP participation. Benefits include tax advantages, government-subsidized SBP costs, protection against inflation and resumed coverage in cases when the service member chooses to remarry. The disadvantages are mostly personal or cost-related. SBP termination is valid only if the spouse's or former spouse's concurrence is witnessed by a Notary Public or a designated SBP Counsellor;
• DD Form 2656-5, RCSBP Election Certificate, is used by Reserve Component Members to make an election for the RCSBP during the 90-day period after receiving notification of eligibility to claim Reserve retired pay;
• DD Form 2656-6, SBP Election Change Certificate, is used by a retired army member to change a current SBP election. The completed form and the appropriate documentation are submitted to the DFAS in Kentucky for Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps accounts or the U.S. Public Health Service/Commissioned Corps in Maryland for Public Health Service accounts;
• DD Form 2656-7, Verification for Survivor Annuity, is used by the surviving spouse, former spouse, or dependent children to verify eligibility for an annuity under the SBP, RSFPP, or RCSBP;
• DD Form 2656-8, SBP Automatic Coverage Fact Sheet, is used to determine army members' marital and dependency status in order to establish and maintain an accurate accounting of the retired pay account. DD Form 2656-8 is not meant for electing SBP. It's used to obtain information about family members that are eligible to become beneficiaries under the SBP;
• DD Form 2656-10, SBP/RCSBP Request for Deemed Election, is used by former spouses to provide information related to SBP coverage. The election is mailed via certified or registered mail to the appropriate Uniformed Service designated agent;
• DD Form 2656-11, Statement Certifying Number of Months of SBP Premiums Paid, is used if the service member disagrees with the number of months credited toward Paid-up SBP by the DFAS. The completed form is then sent to the DFAS at London, Kentucky for review.