Fillable Form DD 2656

What is the DD 2656 form?

The DD 2656 form, otherwise known as the Data for Payment of Retired Personnel form, is filled out and submitted by retired service members during the time of their retirement to receive monetary support. Retirees can also enroll in the Survivor Benefit Plan through this form as well.

Can I fill out the DD 2656 form?

If you are a member of the military and would like to retire and receive monetary support or enroll in the Survivor Benefit Plan, then you are eligible to fill out this form.

What do I need to fill out the DD 2656 form?

You will be needing a variety of information to fill out the DD 2656 form.

You will be asked to provide your pay identification information. This includes your full legal name, social security number (SSN), date of birth, retirement or transfer date, rank or pay grade, branch of service, membership or former membership of active or reserve component, participation in a retirement plan, and current residential address.

You will also be asked to provide your direct deposit or electronic fund transfer information. This means you will have to provide your account type, account number, routing number, name and address of the financial institution, and indicate whether or not you are in active duty.

Additionally, you will be asked for your separation payment information. You must provide the payment type received and the gross amount. If any of these were selected, you must attach a copy of orders which authorized the payment and a copy of DD Form 214.

You will also need to provide your Veteran’s Affairs disability compensation information. You will need to know if you have applied for disability compensation, will be awarded disability compensation, and will also have to know the effective date of payment and monthly amount of payment.

You will also be needing to provide your designation of beneficiaries for unpaid retired pay. You will have to provide the name, social security number, address, relationship, and effective share of your designated beneficiaries in the event of your death.

You will also need your federal income tax withholding information. This includes your marital status, total number of exemptions claimed, additional withholding, exemption from withholding, and United States citizenship.

If you would like to avail of a lump sum, then you will have to indicate your lump sum percentage and number of lump sum payments. To acknowledge this lump sum information, you will have to write your signature and the date of signature.

If you are availing of a survivor benefit plan (SBP), you will have to provide your spouse’s full legal name, social security number, and date of birth. You will also need your date of marriage, place of marriage, and the names, social security numbers, dates of birth, relationships, and disability statuses of your dependent children.

Additionally, you will have to indicate your SBP beneficiary categories and SBP level of coverage.

If you have a former spouse, you will need to provide his or her full legal name, social security number, date of birth, date of divorce, telephone number (including the area code), and email address.

If you have no eligible or former spouse but have an insurable interest beneficiary, you will need to provide his or her full legal name, social security number, date of birth, date of divorce, telephone number (including the area code), and email address.

To certify all the information placed within this form, you and a witness must provide your respect signatures and dates of signatures. Your witness must also indicate his or her name, unit or organization address, as well as the city, base, or post, and its corresponding state and ZIP code.

You will also need your spouse’s full legal name, signature, and date of signature.

How do I fill out the DD 2656 form?

We will be guiding you through the process of filling out the DD 2656 form by giving you a detailed step-by-step tutorial on how to properly fill out this form.

Before attempting to fill out the DD 2656 form, you have to read through the instructions carefully to identify what kind of information you will be needing for the purpose of answering the form.

Ensure that all information that you are about to place within this form is completely truthful and accurate. This is a government-issued document and as such it should be treated with the utmost level of care and attention.

Section I - Pay Identification
In this section, you will be asked to provide your personal information as the recipient of retirement pay.

First, write down your full legal name. This is composed of your last name, first name, and then your middle initial. Then, write down your SSN followed by your date of birth and retirement / transfer date, both in the YYYY/MM/DD format.

Then, indicate your rank or pay grade as well as your branch of service within the military. You must also note whether you are an active or reserve component. You must also indicate what retirement plan you are participating in. You will be asked to choose among the following:

• Final Pay
• HIGH-3
• CSB/Redux
• Blended Retirement System (BRS)

You will then be asked to write down your current street address as well as the corresponding city or town, state, and ZIP code. You will also be asked to provide your telephone number, email address, and choose between these two options as your preferred method of contact.

Section II - Direct Deposit / Electronic Fund Transfer (DD/EFT) Information
In this section of form DD 2656, you will have to provide your deposit information.

First, if you are currently an active duty soldier and would like to continue using the financial information currently on file, then you will have to mark the box indicating so.

If you will not be using your current financial information, then you will need to provide the account type, routing number, and account number of your account as well as the name, street, city, state, and ZIP code of your financial institution.

Section III - Separation Payment Information
In this section of form DD 2656, you will have to provide your separation pay information.

First, write down the type of payment received. You may choose one among the following by marking the appropriate box:

• None
• Severance Pay (SE)
• Readjustment Pay (RP)
• Separation Pay (SP)
• Voluntary Separation Incentive (VSI)
• Special Separation Bonus (SSB)

If any of the payment types were selected, you will have to attach a copy of orders that authorized the payment as well as a copy of the DD Form 214.

You will also have to write down the gross amount of the payment.

Then, at the top of the next page, write down your full legal name and SSN.

Section IV - Veteran’s Affairs (VA) Disability Compensation Information
In this section of the form, you must provide information regarding your disability compensation if you will be availing of this.

First, mark the box asking if you will notify DFAS if you are awarded disability compensation. Then, indicate whether or not you have applied for or are receiving VA compensation by marking the appropriate box.

You must also provide the effective date of payment in the YYYYMMDD format, and the monthly amount of payment.

Section V - Designation of Beneficiaries For Unpaid Retired Pay
In this section, you will list any beneficiaries for unpaid retirement pay in the event of your death.

First, indicate whether or not you will be designating your spouse as a 100% beneficiary by marking the appropriate box.

If you do not want to mark your spouse as a 100% beneficiary, you must write down the full legal names, social security numbers, addresses, relationships, and shares of each of your beneficiaries in the table below.

Section VI - Federal Income Tax Withholding Information
In this section, you will be placing your federal income tax withholding information.

You must first indicate your marital status by marking the appropriate box. Following this, write down the total number of exemptions cleared, additional withholding, and indication of whether or not you are claiming exemption from withholding. Finally, end this section of the form by indicating whether or not you are a U.S. citizen.

Section VII - Voluntary State Tax Withholding Information
In this section, you will be placing your voluntary state tax withholding information.

You will first be required to indicate the state designated to receive your tax, then the monthly amount, and then write once again your current residence address.

At the start of the next page, once again, you must write your full legal name and SSN.

Section VIII - Blended Retirement System Lump Sum Election
If you are covered by the Blended Retirement System, you must fill out this section of the form. If you are not under the BRS, then you are free to leave this section blank.

For this section, indicate the lump sum percentage and the payment or installment option that you will be availing of.

To acknowledge this information, affix your signature and write the date of signature.

Then, at the top of the next page, write down again your full legal name and SSN.

Section IX - Dependency Information
In this section, you will have to write down information regarding your dependents.

First, write down your spouse’s name, social security number, date of birth in the YYYYMMDD format, date of marriage, and place of marriage.

If you have any dependent children, you will have to write down their full legal names, social security numbers, dates of birth, relationships, and their disability status.

Section X - Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) Election
In this section, you will be indicating information regarding the Survivor Benefit Plan.

First, if you are a reserve component, choose among the three options:

• OPTION A - Previously declined to make an election until eligible to receive retired pay
• OPTION B - Previously elected coverage to begin at age 60
• OPTION C - Previously elected immediate RC-SBP coverage
  • If you choose this option, you must attach the appropriate explanation
  • You must also indicate if your marital status has changed since your initial election to participate in RC-SBP.

Then, you must select your SBP Beneficiary Categories. Choose one among the following options by marking the appropriate box:

A. I elect coverage for spouse only

a. If you choose this option, indicate whether or not you have dependent children.

B. I elect for coverage for spouse and child(ren)
C. I elect coverage for child(ren) only

a. If you choose this option, indicate whether or not you have a spouse.

D. I elect coverage for the person named in Block 37 who has an insurable interest in me.
E. I elect coverage for my former spouse indicated in Block 38.
F. I elect coverage for my former spouse and dependent child(ren) of that marriage.
G. I elect not to participate in SBP

a. If you choose this option, indicate whether or not you have dependent children under that plan.

You must then indicate the SBP Level of Coverage. Unless Option B or Option C was chosen or check box 34D or 34G were selected, you must answer this question. Select the option that corresponds to your answer by marking the appropriate box:

• I elect coverage based on full gross pay
• I elect coverage with a reduced base amount of money
  • Indicate the amount of money if you choose this option
• CSB / Redux Members Only
  • I elect coverage based on my actual Reduced Retired Pay Under REDUX.
  • I understand that this represents a Reduced Base Amount and requires Spouse Concurrence
• I elect coverage based on the threshold amount in effect on the date of retirement

Then, if you have a child with special needs and would like to designate a special needs trust, you must indicate so by marking the appropriate box.

If you have a former spouse, you will need to provide his or her full legal name, social security number, date of birth, date of divorce, telephone number (including the area code), and email address.

If you have no eligible or former spouse but have an insurable interest beneficiary, you will need to provide his or her full legal name, social security number, date of birth, date of divorce, telephone number (including the area code), and email address.

Section XI - Certification
In this section, you will be asked to certify all information you have provided within this form.

Both you and a witness must affix your signatures and the date of signatures. Further, your witness must provide his or her full legal name, unit or organization address along with its corresponding city, base, or post, state, and ZIP code.

Section XII - SBP Spouse Concurrence
In this section, you will have to provide your spouse’s concurrence. This section is required only if you are married and:

• Elect a child SBP coverage
• Do not elect full spouse SBP coverage
• Decline SBP coverage

Your spouse must indicate his or her full legal name, signature, and date of signature. Note that your spouse’s signature must be notarized.

After you have completed everything in this form, then congratulations, you have successfully completed the DD 2656.