VA Form 29-336: Designation of Beneficiary for Government Life Insurance

All information requested in Section I, Veteran's Identifying Information, is required.

Enter the first name, middle initial and last name of the Veteran/Insured in box 1, the Veteran/Insured Social Security No. in box 2 and the date of birth (MM/DD/YYYY) in box 3.

In box 4, enter the Veteran/Insured mailing address: No. & Street, Apt./Unit Number, City, State/Province, ZIP Code/Postal Code and Country.

Enter the email address in box 5 and the daytime telephone number, including the area code, in box 6.

In box 7, check the box if your address has changed.

In box 8, list all policy numbers.

For each beneficiary, check one TYPE OF BENEFICIARY: Spouse, Child, Parent, Sibling, Other, Estate, Charity/Organization or Funeral Home.

For trusts ONLY, check the Trust box and complete the share amount, then skip to Section IV.

Principal Beneficiaries are the person(s) or entity(ies) you choose to receive your life insurance proceeds.

Enter the first name, middle initial and last name of the principal beneficiary, the principal beneficiary Social Security number and the principal beneficiary date of birth (MM,DD,YYYY).

Enter the principal beneficiary mailing address (Number and Street or Rural Route, P.O. Box, City, State, ZIP Code and Country), email address and daytime telephone number (Include Area Code).

For an Individual, list the person by name as first name, middle name, last name, i.e.: “Jane A Doe”, not “Mrs. Michael Doe”. Include address, relationship, Social Security Number. This assists VA in locating and paying the correct person.

Please use percentages when identifying specific shares.

The total for all principal beneficiaries must equal 100%. If the designated shares do not add up to 100%, equal shares will be paid.

The total for all contingent beneficiaries must equal 100%. If the designated percentages do not add up to 100%, equal share will be paid.

For multiple beneficiaries, make sure that the percentages add up to 100%. Use percentages only when designating shares.

VA will pay via lump sum. If interested in other payment options, please call the toll-free number 1-800-669-8477.

Contingent Beneficiaries are the person(s) or entity(ies) you choose to receive your life insurance proceeds if the principal beneficiary (ies) die before you, or, if an organization is named principal beneficiary, it dissolves before you die.

Complete Section IV if a Trust has been named as a principal or contingent beneficiary in Section II or III.

Select “Trust” in the type of beneficiary box in Section II (If designated as principal beneficiary) or III (If designated as contingent beneficiary). Indicate the percentage to be assigned to the trust in Section II or III under Insurance Payment Distribution.

If you designate a trust as a principal or contingent beneficiary in Sections II or III, you MUST also complete Section IV to provide additional information about the trust. If Section IV is not completed, the designation is invalid.

Fill in the name and address for each trustee. Fill in the title and date of the Trust Agreement in the space provided.

Enter the trustee name (first, MI, last), trustee address, trustee daytime phone number and trustee email address. The following information is used to assist VA in obtaining a claim. It is NOT part of the designation.

Any time the trust is amended with a new date, a new designation MUST be submitted to be valid.

Sign in ink in the SIGNATURE OF VETERAN/INSURED box and enter the DATE SIGNED (MM/DD/YYYY).

A VA Fiduciary, Power of Attorney or Court-Appointed Guardian cannot designate beneficiaries for the Veteran/Insured. In such cases, a specific court order is required. Please contact the toll-free number at 1-800-669-8477 for more information on court order requirements.

By signing you certify that you are the policyholder.

This change cancels all prior beneficiary and option selections and applies to all Government Life Insurance policies.

Complete the witness section only if the Veteran/Insured is competent but cannot sign their name. In such cases, the Veteran/Insured must make an “X” in the signature block and two impartial witnesses to the signature must sign in the witness section. An impartial witness cannot be someone named as a beneficiary on this form.

Each witness prints the name (First-Middle Initial-Last), the mailing address and the telephone number (Include Area Code), then signs in ink and enters the date signed (MM/DD/YYYY).

Online Policy Access (OPA): using your online account, update your designation securely at https://www.insurance.va.gov/home

Document upload: upload the form using the secure website at https://insurance.va.gov/home/IDU.

Mail: Department of Veterans Affairs Insurance Center PO Box 5209 Janesville, WI 53547-5209

This form allows you to name up to three principal and three contingent beneficiaries. If you attach a sheet of paper listing additional beneficiaries, it must be legible and include your name, date, and signature.

Do not name additional principal beneficiaries in Section III of this form. Please use VA Form 29-336a, Supplemental Designation of Beneficiary to add additional principal beneficiaries or attach a signed sheet of paper with your beneficiaries. Make sure you also include your name, date, and policy number.

Please use VA Form 29-336a, Supplemental Designation of Beneficiary to add additional contingent beneficiaries or attach a signed sheet of paper with your beneficiaries clearly listed. Make sure you include your name, signature, and date.

Simply State "Funeral Home" in the name block. The funeral home will only receive an amount of the death proceeds equal to your funeral expense. Any remaining proceeds will go to the other designated principal or contingent beneficiaries or by order of precedence.

Select Organization in type of beneficiary block. Write the legal named of the Charitable organization in the name block. Provide the Address, city, and state of the organization to ensure payment is made to the correct organization.

Select “Estate” in the type of beneficiary box and list the name of the estate in the name block. VA will only pay the estate if probated. If not probated, then VA will pay to other designated principal or contingent beneficiary (ies), or order of precedence.

This form does not apply for use in Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) or Veterans' Group Life Insurance (VGLI) beneficiary designations. This form cannot be used to reinstate your coverage if your insurance is not in force due to failure to pay timely premiums.