— Social Security information when a loved one dies

By Tom Margenau

Even though my wife and I are relatively fit, when you’re in your late 70s, you can’t help thinking about the inevitable. We’re all going to die. Even though my wife is a few years older than me, I figure I’m eventually going to be the first to buy that one-way ticket to the great beyond.

So, I’ve started working on a little something I will leave my wife when I’m gone. It’s a file called, “I’m dead. Now what?” In it will be all the information she will need to know to handle things like pensions, insurance, etc., after I’m gone. One of the sections will be about how to take care of Social Security matters.

I’ve written about this subject before. But if my emails are any indication, there is still confusion about this topic. So, here is what you need to know about Social Security matters if a loved one dies.

The first issue I will cover is what to do with the final Social Security check for the deceased. To do so, I must start out making two points. First, Social Security checks are paid one month behind. So, for example, the check you get in June is the benefit payment for May.

Second, Social Security benefits have never been prorated. This lack of proration can help out when someone first starts getting Social Security. Say you took benefits at age 66 and you turned 66 on June 28, you would get a check for the whole month of June even though you are only 66 for 3 days of the month. On the other hand, if your spouse dies on June 28, you would not be due the proceeds of that June Social Security check even though he or she was alive for 28 days of the month.

But there is a flip side to that perceived drawback to Social Security’s proration rules, and it could be good news for any survivors due benefits on the deceased’s Social Security account. Let’s say that Bill died on June 28. If his wife, Sarah, was due widow’s benefits, she would be paid those benefits for the whole month of June, even though she was a widow for only three days of the month.

So, when someone dies, the Social Security check for the month of death must be returned. But that’s only if you get the check in the first place.

There is a very good chance the check won’t even show up in the deceased’s bank account. As you may have heard, there are all kinds of computer-matching operations that go on between various government agencies and banks. So if the Treasury Department learns of a person’s death in time, they won’t even issue the Social Security benefit. Or, if the check was issued, the bank will likely intercept the payment and return it to the government before it even hits the deceased’s checking account. You usually don’t have to worry about returning any Social Security checks. It’s almost always done for you.

There can be a little twist to this scenario though. For example, let’s say that Henry died on July 2. Let’s further say that his Social Security check was normally sent to him on the third of each month. In other words, Henry died just before his Social Security check was deposited into his bank account. Because he was alive the whole month of June, that means he was due the money from that June check.

Now his widow or his estate is due that money. So that June Social Security benefit would have to be returned to the Social Security Administration. Then it will be reissued to the widow or to the estate. (There is a form that needs to be filled out to get that to happen.)

Now let’s talk about getting any Social Security survivor benefits that might be due. Unless they are due higher benefits on their own Social Security accounts, widow(er)s are due full benefits at their full retirement age, or reduced benefits as early as age 60 if they are not working. But the most common scenario involves couples who were both getting Social Security benefits at the time of death of one of the spouses.

Here’s an example: Fred died. He was getting Social Security retirement benefits. His wife, Wilma, was getting just a spousal benefit. In other words, she didn’t have enough work credits to get her own Social Security benefit. In this case, the process is simple. No widow’s application is required. Wilma simply notifies the SSA of Fred’s death and they just push a few buttons to switch her from wife’s benefits to widow’s benefits.

As part of the process, she may have to provide a copy of the death certificate. There is a chance the SSA will already have some proof of death in their files. Assuming Wilma was over “full retirement age,” she will just start getting whatever Fred was getting at the time of death. (But if he started his Social Security at age 62, Wilma would actually get a little more. Fred would have been getting a rate equal to 75% of his full benefit, and Wilma is guaranteed to get at least 82% of his full benefit.)

If Wilma was getting her own retirement benefit that was less than Fred’s rate, she will get bumped up to that higher amount. She would have to file an application to get those widow’s benefits. There is one twist. Widow’s claims cannot be filed online, so Wilma would have to contact the SSA at 800-772-1213 to file her claim over the phone. In addition to a death certificate, Wilma may also have to provide a copy of her marriage certificate.

There is also the matter of the $255 death benefit. I’m always embarrassed talking about this one-time payment because it is so miserly. There is a long history to this, and I don’t have the space to explain it here. Suffice it to say, the rate has been set at the $255 level for 50 years now.

A half-century ago, it might have gone a long way toward paying for a funeral. Today, it barely covers the cost of the flowers draping the casket. But, the benefit is still there. However, a number of years ago, Congress passed a law saying it can only be paid to a widow or widower who was living with the deceased. So, if someone dies, and there is no spouse, the $255 death benefit cannot be paid.

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