When you die, many of your benefits are distributed to your survivors, contingent annuitant, and beneficiaries, based on decisions you made at retirement. Generally, the following distributions are made:

• Your surviving spouse or surviving domestic partner (if you were married continuously from one full year before retirement until your death) receives a postretirement survivor continuance equal to 25% of your basic retirement income. If you have no surviving spouse or domestic partner, the survivor continuance is paid to your eligible children, or if none, to your eligible dependent parents.
• Your beneficiary(s) receives a basic death payment of $7,500, the CAP payment, if any, and any remaining eligible after the deaths of your eligible survivors and contingent annuitant.

In addition, when you retire, you may designate your spouse, domestic partner, or another person  as a contingent annuitant to receive monthly benefits after your death.

• Naming Beneficiaries