Insurance & Other Benefits
I have found an old policy
belonging to a relative. It was issued under
the Treasury Department (or War Department)
Beneficial Association. How do I receive the
benefits that I may be entitled to under this
policy?
I have found an insurance
policy from the Bureau of War Risk. How do I
obtain any benefits that I may be entitled
to?
I have found papers that
were issued under the Postal Savings System.
How can I redeem them?
The Treasury (or War) Department
Beneficial Association is no longer in
existence, and we have been unable to
identify a specific government office that
succeeded it in processing claims. The
underwriter of these policies was the
Shenandoah Life Insurance Company. A
representative of that company has advised us
that they currently administer the
policies.
We would suggest that you contact The
Beneficial Association, Shenandoah Life
Insurance Company, Post Office Box 13286,
Roanoke, VA 24032. You should send any
pertinent documents you may have to help
speed up your claim.
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The Bureau of War Risk Insurance
was established in 1914. War Risk Insurance
policies were term contracts that were
renewable each year. The accounts were
referred to as "T" certificates. The "T"
certificates ceased to be in effect on July
2, 1927. At that time veterans with "T"
certificates had to convert them to a United
States Government Life Insurance (USGLI)
policy. The USGLI policy was referred to as a
"K" policy. Many veterans allowed their "T"
certificates to lapse after they left service
during World War I or they did not convert
them to a "K" policy in 1927.
At this time, the Department of Veterans
Affairs responds to questions concerning
these accounts. If you have any questions
concerning a "T" certificate, you should
write to the Department of Veterans Affairs
Insurance Center, Post Office Box 7208,
Philadelphia, PA 19101. Any request should
include a copy of the War Risk Insurance
policy certificate. You may also call the
Insurance Center, toll free, at
1-800-669-8477.
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On July
13, 1984, P.L. 98-359, the "," became law. It
established a one-year limitation on the
filing of claims for unpaid accounts formerly
maintained in the Postal Savings System. The
law did not provide for any exceptions. The
Treasury Department attempted to notify all
depositors by letter about the limitations
for filing claims. Additionally, all Members
of Congress received a news release dated
July 23, 1984, and the news media received
another news release dated April
13, 1985. The Postal Service issued
bulletins when the legislation became law,
and posted them in all Post Offices.
Based on the end of the program, the
Postal Service destroyed all records. As a
result, it is impossible to validate any
claims now. Possession of a Postal Savings
System certificate does not necessarily
support a claim. This is because the Postal
Service paid many claims based on
certification by the depositor that the
certificate was lost, misplaced, or
destroyed, and they received no previous
payment.
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