JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. -- –
Eligible for Stop-Loss? Submit a Claim by April 8, 2011
The 2009 War Supplemental Appropriations Act established Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay (RSLSP), providing $500 for each month or partial month served in stop-loss status. Service members, veterans, and beneficiaries of service members whose service was involuntarily extended under Stop Loss between Sept. 11, 2001 and Sept. 30, 2009, are eligible for RSLSP.
To receive this benefit, those who served under stop loss must submit a claim for the special pay. Throughout the year, the services have been reaching out to service members, veterans and their families through direct mail, veteran service organizations, and the media. But there is still money left to be claimed, and the deadline is approaching. The average benefit is $3,700.
General Procedure
Individuals who meet eligibility criteria may submit an application between Oct. 21, 2009 and April 8, 2011. By law, there is no authorization to make payments on claims that are submitted after April 8, 2011.
Eligible members should complete and sign Department of Defense Form 2944, Claim for Retroactive Stop Loss Payment. Choose the appropriate method for submitting the claim form and available supporting documents based on your service specifications. This information can be found on your service's stop loss website.
Note on Eligibility
Effective Dec. 19, 2009, per the Defense Appropriations Act, stop loss servicemembers who voluntarily reenlisted or extended their service, and received a bonus for such reenlistment or extension of service, became ineligible to receive retroactive stop loss special pay. There may be rare circumstances where an individual can be eligible for this pay and have received a bonus. The Department continues to encourage all who believe they may qualify to apply and allow a service counselor to review each individual situation.
Log on to: http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2010/0710_stoploss for more information. No computer? No Problem! Call: 703-571-3343 and ask for stop-loss information. Extracted from the U.S. Department of Defense Web Site.
Married or remarried SBP particpants
Some retirees were told by an identification card issuing clerk that once a new dependent identification card was issued, their spouses were automatically covered under the Survivor Benefit Plan. This is not correct.
Retirees must complete a SBP Election Change Certificate (DD Form 2656-6) and mail it to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service with a copy of the marriage certificate. The mailing address is on the form.
The signed, completed form must be provided to the DFAS within a year of the retiree's marriage. Retirees with suspended SBP coverage (i.e. divorced or deceased spouse) have options regarding continued participation after their remarriage. Contact an SBP advisor at: joseph.sites@afncr.af.mil regarding questions about remarriage and SBP coverage.
The Retiree Activities Office is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. You may visit our office in room A-200A, 1535 Command Dr., or call us at 301-981-2726. Your voice mail message will be answered, or you can e-mail us at rao@andrews.af.mil.
We recommend you call the office prior to visiting us to ensure someone is on duty. We have a website at http://www.andrews.af.mil. Click on ''Retirees" on the right side of the page. There you will find information that may be of interest to you.
Back copies of all "Retiree Activities Corner" articles are available online. Go to our Retirees webpage and follow the instructions under the heading "Newspaper Column."