Determining the Personal Representative

The Postal Service will only pay a death gratuity to the deceased employee’s “personal representative” as the applicable law defines that term. In almost every case, the applicable law means state or local law. An individual who claims to be the personal representative of the deceased employee’s estate either will have, or may obtain, an official document that establishes his or her status as the personal representative.

The Postal Service will ask the personal representative to provide the official document of proof as part of the application process for a death gratuity. The following are responsible for validating the document:

1. The San Mateo Accounting Service Center and the Law Department. You must review the document(s) provided by the personal representative.
2. Local management. When the application is submitted, you must bring to the attention of the San Mateo Accounting Service Center any information you have that indicates there is a dispute concerning the identity of the personal representative of a deceased employee’s estate.

The Postal Service will require the individual claiming to be the personal representative of the deceased employee’s estate to certify that he or she:

1. Is the personal representative, and
2. Accepts individual responsibility to return the payment if the Postal Service determines that the individual is not the personal representative of the deceased employee’s estate.