*IMPORTANT TO ALL FEDERAL EMPLOYEES*
My husband was a Border Patrol Agent who died in May of 1999. I was left with four kids, one with a serious disability, a mountain of debt, the loss of our only income, and the trauma of losing our father and husband.
He had Life Insurance through Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) in conjunction. The Border Patrol assisted me in filling out all of the claim paperwork within a couple of days and I submitted it. Since I was mailed an additional set of claim forms within the next couple of days, I refilled them out and sent in this second completed set.
Our four children were named as beneficiaries and would receive their portions on the 18th birthdays.in the meantime, the money was to be placed in an interest-bearing account until they were eligible for payout. We heard nothing more for several years.
When my oldest son was nearing his 18th birthday in October. We contacted MetLife to ensure he would get his money so he could continue his education. They explained to me that they had no account for my son.
After multiple phone calls and too many transfers, I was referred back to FEGLI. They had me speak with about a dozen people before they came up with the explanation that I never designated what to do with the money for my children until they reached 18, and therefore the money was returned back to the Government.
I explained to them that I had completed the paperwork twice, once with the assistance of the Border Patrol themselves. FEGLI insisted I was mistaken, the fault was mine, and therefore there was nothing I could do but start the process over.
I was sent another set of paperwork and for the third time filled it out for all four children. They said it would take about a month for the money to be resent to MetLife and then a matter of a day or two before the accounts would be established and money available to my oldest son.
The forms for all four children were completed, notarized, and mailed to FEGLI all in the same envelope. About 5 months later, he finally received his money, but no interest whatsoever. Almost 10 years of interest lost and then on top of that they blamed me.
Shortly after my son received his money, I re-contacted FEGLI to check the status of my other childrens money to be sure that they were now in an interest bearing account, as this incompetence of FEGLI has cost them 10 years of interest as well. FEGLI told me they never received any paperwork for any of the children. Obviously they had received it as my oldest sons was processed and paid out.
I filled out the forms for all four of them and sent them in the same envelope so if they got his, they got the paperwork for all of them. A few days later I received a fourth set of forms to fill out. I did so, had them notarized and returned them. It was recommended to me to send them certified mail, but since FEGLI only gives a P.O. Box, that was not possible.
A follow-up call to FEGLI resulted in, you guessed it, you never filled out any forms, and a fifth set sent to the house. As a widow with several children, life insurance is supposed to help out the remaining family with living expenses and providing for the children. Schooling and raising them is not inexpensive, especially in this economy. FEGLI has demonstrated a consistent level of incompetence and mismanagement, and MetLife has never responded either.
It is next to impossible to sue the Federal Government, and I cant imagine what forms they require then lose for that undertaking. I do not know what options are available to other Federal Employees or civilians that may deal with this insurance group, but if you really want to provide for your family in a worst-case scenario, these are not companies looking out for your family.
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