Reconsideration of Claim for Arrears of Retired Pay Due on Death of Air Force Member

A deceased military member's niece requested reconsideration of the disallowance of her claim for arrears of retired pay and allowances due her late uncle on his death. Upon his retirement, the member had filed the appropriate forms naming a person, also identified as his wife, as the beneficiary of his unpaid pay and allowances. An affidavit and letter submitted to the Air Force prior to his death in which he disclaimed the person as his wife and expressed a desire to designate his niece as the beneficiary of his Retired Serviceman's Family Protection Plan did not qualify as a valid change of beneficiary in order to supersede the earlier designation. Should the designated beneficiary fail to make a claim within 3 years of the date of the member's death, further consideration of the niece's claim as a possible recipient will be given if the claim is reasserted subsequent to that time.