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Update Your Insurance Beneficiary
Your VA Life Insurance Beneficiary is the person you have designated to receive your insurance proceeds in the event of your death. It is very important to make sure your beneficiary information is always up to date. This will make it much easier on your family members to file a claim and receive the benefit quickly.
You should review your beneficiary information at least once a year to make sure everything is current. Even though you may have the same beneficiary, they might have changed addresses. A regular beneficiary review each year will make sure you capture these changes.
Certain life events such a marriage or the birth of a child or divorce should also trigger a review of your beneficiary information. This will save your family members a lot of unnecessary grief in the future
Click on your VA Life Insurance program below to learn how to update your beneficiary:
- Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI)
- Veterans' Group Life Insurance (VGLI)
- Other VA Life Insurance (policies beginning with V, RH, J, RS, K or W)
Updating Your Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) Beneficiary
If you are in any uniformed service, except the Public Health Service, and have full-time SGLI coverage…
You no longer need to use the SGLV 8286 to update your SGLI beneficiary! You can now manage your Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) coverage using the SGLI Online Enrollment System (SOES). SOES allows Servicemembers with full-time SGLI coverage to make fast and easy changes to their life insurance coverage and beneficiary information at any time without completing a paper form or making a trip to their personnel office. To access SOES, sign into www.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect and go to the Benefits Tab, Life Insurance SOES- SGLI Online Enrollment System.
If you are in the Public Health Service...
Use the SGLV 8286 to make SGLI coverage and beneficiary changes and submit your completed form to your branch of service personnel office.
If you are in any uniformed service and have part-time SGLI coverage…
Use the SGLV 8286 to make SGLI coverage and beneficiary changes and submit your completed form to your branch of service personnel office.
Note: You may name anyone as your SGLI beneficiary without his/her consent. However, your spouse will be notified if you name a beneficiary other than your spouse.
Updating Your Veterans' Group Life Insurance Beneficiary
The quickest way to update your VGLI beneficiary is to access your VGLI Policy online.
You may also:
- Download and complete SGLV 8721, VGLI Beneficiary Designation/Change Form
- Fax your completed form to 1-800-236-6142 OR,
- Mail your completed form to:
OSGLI
P.O. BOX 41618
Philadelphia, PA 19176-9913
Updating Other VA Life Insurance Policies
Other VA Life Insurance beneficiaries with policy numbers beginning with V, RH, J, RS, K or W should download 29-336, Designation of Beneficiary and Optional Settlement. Complete the form and mail to us at:
VARO&IC (B&O)
P.O. BOX 8638
PHILADELPHIA, PA 19101
Changing a Beneficiary Designation for a Competent Veteran
In order to change a beneficiary designation for a competent Veteran, please do one of the following:
- If the Veteran is competent and is able to sign his name, he should complete and sign form 29-336, Designation of Beneficiary and Optional Settlement; OR
- If the Veteran is competent but cannot sign his name, he should make a mark in place of his signature. Two disinterested parties must witness the mark and sign form 29-336, Designation of Beneficiary and Optional Settlement. The two witnesses cannot be beneficiaries. OR
- If the Veteran is competent and is not able to sign or make his mark, send us a letter explaining the veteran's condition.
Changing a Beneficiary Designation for an Incompetent Veteran
If the Veteran is incompetent, only a court appointed guardian can change the beneficiary designation for the veteran. In addition, the court appointed guardian must obtain a specific court order authorizing them to change the beneficiary designation.
Please have the court appointed guardian complete form 29-336, Designation of Beneficiary and Optional Settlement. Also, include a copy of the guardianship documents and the specific court order with the form.
For information on how to become a court appointed guardian and obtain a specific court order contact your state court system.
