DD Form 2656-6 Reserve Component Survivor Benefit Plan (RCSBP) Election Certificate

DD Form 2656-6 Instructions

The form is used for changing an SBP election. The completed DD 2656-6 and all applicable paperwork (marriage certificates, birth certificates, divorce decrees) must be sent to the appropriate agency listed below:

1. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps retirees send their paperwork to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, US Military Retirement Pay, PO Box 7130, London, KY 40742-7130
2. Public Health Service retirees send forms to the U.S. Public Health Service/Commissioned Corps, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 4-50, Rockville, MD 20857-0001.

Section I , Member Information consists of 6 Boxes and requires personal identifying information about the service member. Boxes 1 and 2 are for the name and social security number, Boxes 3 and 4 are for providing the date of retirement and date of birth. Boxes 5 and 6 require the service member's full mailing address and telephone number (with area code) respectively.

Section II describes the current coverage. The retiree must choose if their current coverage is spouse or child-only, spouse-and-child coverage, insurable coverage, former spouse or former spouse-and-child coverage, suspended coverage or no coverage at all.

Section III provides a list of conditions that trigger eligibility to change coverage for the retiree to choose from. These include marriage, remarriage, acquiring a dependent child, divorce or death of a spouse.

Section IV requires the person filing to indicate their new requested type of coverage.

Section V specifies the level of coverage and Section VI provides information about the spouse or children. This includes their full names, social security numbers, dates of birth and - for dependent children - the relationship between the retiree and disability status.

Section VII calls for the signature of the service member and witness - a notary public or SBP counselor, and includes the witnesses printed name, signature, mailing address and date of commission expiration.

DD 2656-6 Related Forms

1. DD Form 2656, Data for Payment of Retired Personnel - the main form in the DD 2656 Forms series - is used to elect a Survivor Benefit Plan and designate beneficiaries for receiving retired pay.
2. DD Form 2656-1, SBP Election Statement for Former Spouse Coverage is a form used by former and present spouses of soldiers for purposes of providing information on SBP benefits.
3. DD Form 2656-2, SBP Termination Request is used to discontinue participation in the Uniformed Services SBP.
4. DD Form 2656-5, RCSBP Election Certificate is a form used by Reserve Component Members for electing a Reserve Component Survivor Benefit Plan during the 90-day period after receiving notification of eligibility to claim retired pay.
5. DD Form 2656-7, Verification for Survivor Annuity is used by spouses and dependent children to verify eligibility for an annuity under the SBP, Retired Servicemen Family Protection Plan or RCSBP.
6. DD Form 2656-8, SBP Automatic Coverage Fact Sheet is a form used to determine service members' marital and dependency status in order to establish and maintain a retired pay account.
7. DD Form 2656-10, SBP/RC SBP Request for Deemed Election is a document used by former spouses to provide information related to SBP coverage.
8. DD Form 2656-11, Statement Certifying Number of Months of SBP Premiums Paid is a form used by individual disagrees with the number of months credited toward Paid-up SBP by the DFAS.