Government & Benefits

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Social Security After a Death

Funeral homes generally report a death to Social Security when they have the information needed to do so. Families should still understand what happens to the deceased person's benefits and whether a surviving spouse, child, or other eligible family member may qualify for survivor benefits.

Watch for payments after death

Social Security benefits are not payable for the month in which a beneficiary dies. This applies even if the person dies on the last day of the month.

Because Social Security benefits are generally paid in the month following the month for which they are due, a payment received for the month of death must be returned. A payment received after death is not necessarily improper simply because it arrived after the person died; what matters is the month for which the payment was due.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) follows different payment rules, so families should confirm which type of Social Security benefit the person was receiving.

Official source: U.S. Social Security Administration

Survivor Benefits

Benefits for Surviving Family Members

A surviving spouse, child, or in some circumstances another family member may qualify for Social Security survivor benefits based on the deceased person's work record.

Eligibility depends on factors such as the survivor's relationship to the person who died, age, disability status, and other circumstances. Survivor benefits should not be assumed to begin automatically in every situation.

Social Security can explain whether benefits may be available and what information is needed to apply.

Official source: U.S. Social Security Administration

Veterans

VA Survivor, Burial & Memorial Benefits

When the person who died was a Veteran or service member, surviving family members may want to determine whether VA benefits are available.

Depending on eligibility and circumstances, VA programs may include survivor compensation or pension, accrued benefits that were owed before death, burial allowances, national cemetery benefits, headstones or markers, burial flags, and other memorial benefits.

Eligibility differs among programs, so military service does not automatically mean that every survivor or estate qualifies for every benefit.

Official source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Medicare & Other Benefits

Other Government Benefits & Payments

A person may have been receiving Medicare coverage, a government pension, disability benefits, or other public benefits at the time of death.

These programs do not all follow the same rules. Some benefits end at death, some may create survivor rights, and payments received after death may need to be reviewed to determine whether they were properly payable.

Executors and families should identify the programs the person was actually receiving and contact the agency or plan responsible for each benefit rather than assuming that the same rules apply to all government payments.

Official source: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services