Social Security Benefits

Are you a survivor of someone who was receiving Social Security benefits? If so, you or another family member may qualify for monthly survivors benefits. As the survivor, if you are the spouse, child or parent of someone who has worked long enough under the Social Security Administration you may qualify to receive certain benefits.

What Are Social Security Death Benefits?

Social Security Death Benefits are paid to widows, widowers, and dependents of a deceased eligible worker. This benefit, meant to assist with a family’s financial burden of losing the lost loved one’s income, is particularly important for young families with children.


Monthly benefit amounts are based on the earnings of the person who died. The more they paid into Social Security, the higher your benefits would be. This amount is a percentage of the deceased’s basic Social Security benefit.



Additionally, a one-time lump-sum death payment of $255 can be paid to the surviving spouse if he or she is living with the deceased; or if living apart, was receiving certain Social Security benefits on the deceased’s record. When there is no surviving spouse, the payment is made to a child who is eligible for benefits

The following checklist is designed to help you file for your Social Security benefits correctly so that prompt payments may be made. 

Eligibility

The deceased worker must have credit for work covered by Social Security, ranging from 1 1/2 to 10 years depending on his or her age at death. Who may receive monthly benefits:

  • A widow or widower age 60 or older
  • A surviving divorced spouse, under certain circumstances
  • A widow or widower at any age who is caring for the deceased’s child who is under age 16 or disabled and receiving child’s benefits
  • An unmarried child of the deceased who is one of the following:
  • Younger than age 18 (up to age 19) if he or she is a full-time student in an elementary or secondary school).
  • Age 18 or older with a disability that began before age 22.

Lump-Sum Death Payment

A one time payment of $255 is paid in addition to the monthly cash benefits described above. The lump-sum death payment (LSDP) is paid in the following priority order:

  • A surviving spouse who lived in the same household as the deceased person at the time of death
  • A surviving spouse eligible for or entitled to benefits for the month of death
  • A child or children eligible for or entitled to benefits for the month of death

Applying for Benefits

You must apply in order to receive benefits.You may also apply at any Social Security office or, if you wish, you may apply by telephone or online at www.ssa.gov. Just dial the toll-free number 1-800-772-1213 and the operator will schedule an appointment for you or arrange for the local Social Security office to take your claim by telephone. 

Contact Social Security

You may contact Social Security toll-free, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. The number to use is 1-800-772-1213. To speak with a representative, call between the hours of 7:00am and 7:00pm on regular business days. At other times and on weekends and holidays, you may leave a message and they will call you back, in most cases, the next business day.
 

You may use the toll-free number to make an appointment either in a Social Security office or telephone to apply for benefits, transact other Social Security business, or just ask questions.

Additional information is available online at ssa.gov/benefits/survivors.

Share by: