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JBSA News
NEWS | Feb. 18, 2020

New DFAS tools help retirees with submitting forms

By Defense Finance and Accounting Service Defense Finance and Accounting Service

The Defense Finance and Accounting Service is rolling out a series of new tools to help retirees and annuitants fill out and submit forms easily and correctly. The tools include helpful PDF form wizards, checklists, how-to videos and online upload tools.

The tools are available from the forms page on the DFAS website at https://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/forms.  DFAS officials report receiving a high percentage of unworkable forms, often because a form is missing information or a signature. They hope these tools will make the processes easier for customers by reducing the number of incorrect documents that cause delays, and by allowing digital submissions.

The form wizards “take the form out of the form” by having the customer answer a series of questions. Once they have answered the questions, the wizard then places the answers in the correct areas of the form and generates a ready-to-print PDF of the completed form. Customers can also save a PDF of the generated form to their own computer. Form wizards are designed to generate a printable version of the filled-out forms when forms require “wet” signatures.

New checklists provide a different kind of help by explaining what information needs to be included on a form and additional documentation that may be needed. There is also a reminder to sign the form, which is one of the major omissions preventing DFAS from processing a form. Videos complement the checklists with visual instructions.

The new online upload tools allow some forms and documentation to be uploaded and submitted through “AskDFAS” on the website, and are accessible on a mobile browser. Customers just need to fill in the required information in the online screen and then upload a PDF of their completed and signed form and documentation. AskDFAS online upload tools can only accept the specific form and documentation noted on the upload tool. Other requests or documents cannot be processed through these tools.