Omliva organizes practical information. This guide is general information for the United States, not legal, tax, financial or medical advice.
A short note before you start
This guide explains how the Social Security Administration (SSA) handles a death and what family members can claim. It is general information, not legal or financial advice; benefit amounts depend on the deceased person's work record, so confirm your situation with SSA directly. Also settling the estate? Our executor checklist covers the full timeline.
Who reports the death
In most cases, the funeral home does. SSA's FAQ says: "In most cases, the funeral director will report the person's death to Social Security. Give the funeral director the deceased's Social Security number so he or she can report the death"1. So the family's job is simple: give the funeral director the number and confirm the report was sent.
When the family must call
SSA covers the gap: "If a funeral home isn't involved or doesn't report the death for some reason, you should call us and provide the name, Social Security number, date of birth, and date of death for the person who died"1. That includes home deaths without a funeral director, direct cremation or body donation, and deaths abroad. A confirming call is still worth it even after a funeral home reports: a family member's report needs no verification, while some third-party reports must be verified before benefits stop13.
How to report: phone or in person only
There is no online form and no email address. USA.gov is explicit: "SSA only accepts reports of death by phone or in person. They do not accept reports by email or online"14.
| How | Details | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Phone (US) | 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time | SSA, Contact Social Security By Phone, checked 2026-09-17 |
| TTY | 1-800-325-0778 | SSA, checked 2026-09-17 |
| In person | Any local Social Security office (office locator on ssa.gov) | USA.gov, checked 2026-09-17 |
| From outside the US | International Call Center +1-855-522-6936 or a Federal Benefits Unit; also tell the nearest US embassy or consulate | SSA, What to do when someone dies, checked 2026-09-17 |
| Online or email | Not accepted | USA.gov, checked 2026-09-17 |
What to have ready
- The person's full name, Social Security number, date of birth and date of death
- The funeral home's name and phone number, if one was used
- Your own name, relationship and phone number
- The benefit type (retirement, disability, SSI) and the bank receiving the deposits
- A death certificate if you have one. USA.gov notes it is needed to complete the process but not to start it14
If the card and benefit letters are hard to find, this is the moment families wish someone had written down where they were kept, which is exactly what a family guide like Omliva's records, without storing passwords. For the fuller list of who else to contact after a death, see our what to do when someone dies checklist.
The month-of-death rule and returning a payment
Social Security pays a month behind, and federal law allows no benefit for the month a person dies. USA.gov gives the example: "If the person died in July, the check or direct deposit received in August (which is payment for July) must be returned"14.
How to send it back
- Direct deposit: USA.gov says to "contact your financial institution immediately to request the payment be returned"14. The Treasury calls this a reclamation, its procedure "to recover benefit payments made through the ACH to the account of a recipient who died" (Treasury, Green Book Chapter 5, checked 2026-09-17).
- Paper check: do not cash it. Return it to SSA using the instructions from the 800 number.
Do not spend the money even if the bank has not pulled it back yet. Treasury rules make the bank liable for post-death payments, and it will recover them from the account (Treasury, Green Book Chapter 5, checked 2026-09-17).
The $255 lump-sum death payment
SSA pays a one-time $255 lump-sum death payment: small, real, and easy to miss.
Who can get it
SSA lists the order2: a spouse who was living with the person at death; a spouse living apart who can get benefits on the deceased person's record; or, if there is no eligible spouse, a child who is 17 or younger, 18 to 19 and in K-12 school full time, or any age with a disability that began at 21 or younger. It does not go to the estate, a parent, a sibling or a funeral-cost payer.
The 2-year deadline
SSA states: "You must apply for this payment within 2 years of the family member's death"1. The Social Security Handbook adds that "the two-year filing period ends with the second anniversary of the insured person's death," and that a widow or widower already getting spouse's benefits the month before the death does not need a separate application1.
How to apply
Apply by phone, in person, or by mail using Form SSA-8, Application for Lump-Sum Death Payment, a printable PDF SSA provides16. Mailing skips the phone wait but takes longer to process.
Survivor benefits, in plain terms
Survivor benefits are monthly payments to "eligible family members of people who worked and paid Social Security taxes before they died"3. The amount depends on the deceased person's earnings and the survivor's age, so only SSA can give you a number, by phone.
Spouses
You may qualify if you are 60 or older (50 to 59 with a disability), were married at least 9 months before the death, and did not remarry before 60 (50 with a disability). A spouse of any age may qualify while caring for the deceased person's child4. Payments "start at 71.5% of your spouse's benefit and increase the longer you wait to apply," reaching 100% at your full retirement age for survivor benefits, between 66 and 675. Remarrying after 60 (50 with a disability) does not end that eligibility18.
Ex-spouses
A divorced spouse may qualify if the marriage lasted at least 10 years, under the same age rules. Ex-spouses do not count toward the family maximum, so their claim does not reduce what the current family gets1. The 10-year rule does not apply if the ex-spouse cares for the deceased person's child, under 16 or disabled, at any age4.
Children and dependent parents
Unmarried children may qualify if they are 17 or younger, 18 to 19 and in K-12 school full time, or any age if they developed a disability before 22. Children generally get 75% of the parent's benefit. A parent aged 62 or older who was financially supported by the child who died may also qualify1.
The family maximum
Social Security caps the total paid on one worker's record, generally 150% to 180% of the worker's basic benefit depending on earnings. When more than one survivor qualifies at once, each payment is reduced proportionally to stay under that cap17.
If you already get benefits on their record
"You generally don't need to apply for Survivor benefits if you're already getting Family benefits. Your benefit type and amount will be updated automatically"6.
Medicare and SSI
Medicare needs no separate call: "The SSA handles death reports for both Social Security and Medicare recipients"14. A surviving spouse who is 65 or older, or disabled, may qualify for Medicare on the deceased person's record5.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is based on need, not a work record, so there are no survivor benefits on an SSI-only record, and payments end with the death. A surviving spouse or housemate who gets SSI must report the death themselves, no later than 10 days after the end of the month it happened; a late report can bring a penalty of $25 to $1001. If the person was a veteran, VA burial and survivor benefits are separate, with their own deadlines; see our veterans death benefits checklist.
How a death changes a surviving spouse's own choices
A surviving spouse with their own work record does not have to pick one benefit forever. SSA explains: "If you're eligible for Survivor and another benefit, you'll choose the payment that's best for you. The payments won't be added together. You can also switch benefits later. For example, you could start with Survivor benefits and then change to Retirement at age 70 when that payment is highest"5.
The reverse also works: reduced retirement early, then the full survivor benefit at full retirement age. The "deemed filing" rule that forces most people to claim retirement and spousal benefits together does not apply: "Deemed filing applies to retirement benefits, not survivor's benefits"10. Ask SSA to run both numbers before signing anything.
Timelines at a glance
- Days 1 to 3: give the funeral director the Social Security number and ask for confirmation.
- First week: call SSA to confirm the death is on file; tell the bank to return any payment for a month after the death.
- First month: apply for the lump sum and survivor benefits. The first payment arrives the month after the start month you choose6.
- Within 2 years: the hard deadline for the $255 payment1.
Common mistakes
- Spending the last deposit. The bank will pull back the payment for the month of death.
- Assuming the funeral home reported it. Most do; direct cremation and home death arrangements often skip the step.
- Delaying the report. Each extra month means another payment to return and a longer wait for survivor benefits.
- Waiting for an online form. There is none.
- Not asking about the $255. You must apply, within 2 years.
- Filing for the wrong benefit first. A widow or widower with their own record should ask SSA to compare survivor and retirement amounts.
When to get professional help
Most families can handle the report and the lump-sum claim with one or two calls. Consider a fee-only financial planner or claiming specialist when the surviving spouse has a sizable work record, when children from more than one marriage are involved, or when payments continued after the death and SSA wants money back. An elder law or estate attorney can help if SSA disputes a marriage, divorce date or child's eligibility.
Step-by-step checklist
Record in your family guide where the Social Security card is kept, which benefit type the person receives and which bank the deposits go to. Those three lines save a surviving spouse days of searching, the kind of detail Omliva's guided questions capture.
Frequently asked questions
Can I notify Social Security of a death online?
No. SSA takes death reports by phone at 1-800-772-1213 or in person at a local office. USA.gov confirms SSA does "not accept reports by email or online"14.
Does the funeral home automatically notify Social Security?
Usually. SSA says funeral homes "generally tell us when someone dies"1. Give them the Social Security number and ask for confirmation. If no funeral home is involved, call SSA yourself.
What happens to the Social Security check for the month of death?
It must be returned. Benefits are paid a month behind, and SSA cannot pay for the month of death, so the deposit that lands the month after the death has to go back through the bank14.
Who gets the $255 death benefit from Social Security?
A spouse who lived with the person, a spouse living apart who can get benefits on that record, or, if there is no eligible spouse, a qualifying child. Apply within 2 years2.
How long does a widow have to apply for survivor benefits?
SSA does not publish a deadline for monthly survivor benefits on the pages checked here, so apply promptly. The $255 lump-sum payment has a firm 2-year deadline1.
Can a surviving spouse collect survivor benefits and their own Social Security?
Not at the same time; SSA pays the higher of the two, not the sum. You can start one and switch later, for example survivor benefits now and retirement at 705.
Do I need to notify Medicare separately?
No. SSA handles death reports for both Social Security and Medicare14.
Does remarrying affect Social Security survivor benefits?
Not once you are 60 or older (50 or older with a disability). Remarrying after that age does not end eligibility for survivor benefits on a deceased spouse's or qualifying ex-spouse's record. Remarrying before that age generally does end eligibility, unless the survivor is caring for the deceased person's child18.
Is there a limit on how much my family can receive together?
Yes. Social Security caps the total paid on one worker's record, generally 150% to 180% of the basic benefit. If several survivors qualify at once, each payment is reduced proportionally to stay under that cap17.
Sources
- Social Security Administration, ssa.gov: What to do when someone dies Checked 2026-09-17
- Social Security Administration, ssa.gov: Lump-sum death payment Checked 2026-09-17
- Social Security Administration, ssa.gov: Survivor benefits Checked 2026-09-17
- Social Security Administration, ssa.gov: Who can get Survivor benefits Checked 2026-09-17
- Social Security Administration, ssa.gov: What you could get from Survivor benefits Checked 2026-09-17
- Social Security Administration, ssa.gov: Apply for Social Security benefits (Survivor, adult) Checked 2026-09-17
- Social Security Administration, ssa.gov: FAQ KA-02083, Who is eligible to receive Social Security survivors benefits and how do I apply? Checked 2026-09-17
- Social Security Administration, ssa.gov: FAQ KA-02077, What should I do when someone dies? Checked 2026-09-17
- Social Security Administration, ssa.gov: Contact Social Security By Phone Checked 2026-09-17
- Social Security Administration, ssa.gov: Filing Rules for Retirement and Spouses Benefits Checked 2026-09-17
- Social Security Administration, ssa.gov: Social Security Handbook section 1517, Time Limit for Applying for Lump-Sum Death Payment Checked 2026-09-17
- Social Security Administration, ssa.gov: Understanding Supplemental Security Income Reporting Responsibilities, 2026 Edition Checked 2026-09-17
- Social Security Administration, secure.ssa.gov: POMS GN 02602.050, Reports of Death Checked 2026-09-17
- USA.gov, usa.gov: Report the death of a Social Security or Medicare beneficiary Checked 2026-09-17
- U.S. Department of the Treasury, tfx.treasury.gov: Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Green Book Chapter 5, Reclamations Checked 2026-09-17
- Social Security Administration, ssa.gov: Form SSA-8, Application for Lump-Sum Death Payment Checked 2026-09-28
- Social Security Administration, ssa.gov: FAQ KA-02107, Is there a limit to the amount of monthly benefits my family can get on my record? Checked 2026-09-28
- Social Security Administration, ssa.gov: Social Security Handbook Section 406, Effect of Remarriage-Widow(er)'s Benefits Checked 2026-09-28