How to Report a Death to Social Security and Apply for the Death Benefits

When a spouse or parent passes away, there are a million things that go if your mind. One of the many things that the you must do for your loved ones, is to notify the Social Security Administration that your loved one has passed away.

Why do need to do this? Who is going to call?  How soon do you need to call? The purpose of this article is to provide you with the information necessary to report the death and apply for survivor benefits.  

To get immediate answers to your question, you can go to the Social Security Administration’s website that directly addresses how to report a death and survivor benefits. Please see the link below:

https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/survivors/

Reporting the Death to

Social Security Administration

If you need to report a death, contact your local Social Security office or call

1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).

You can speak to a Social Security representative

7 AM and 7 PM Monday through Friday, Eastern Time

Funeral homes in Florida may report the death to Social Security Administration by completing form SSA-721, Statement of Death by Funeral Director. The only thing that a funeral home needs to report the death is the person’s social security number. Be sure to address this issue with the funeral director when you are making funeral arrangements and acquiring funeral services.

In my experience most funeral homes are extremely helpful in assisting with the initial requirements of handling your loved one’s affairs, such as reporting the death to Social Security.

Applying for the Social Security Death Benefit

There are potentially two different types of death benefits that you may apply for from the Social Security Administration. The first is the special lump-sum death payment. The second is a monthly benefit.

In either case you may not need to actually apply for these benefits in certain scenarios. For example, you generally do not need to file an application if you are already getting benefits on your spouse’s or a parent’s social security account. Any monthly benefits you may be entitled to or the lump-sum death benefit will automatically be processed.

It is important that you keep track of these benefits and make sure that you have received all the benefits that you’re entitled to. If you would like to know what you qualify for, you can visit the website below:

https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/survivors/

If your benefits are not automatically processed, then you’re going to have to apply. Unfortunately, you cannot apply for survivor benefits online. To apply, you are going to have to provide a number of documents and other information which the Social Security Administration requires in order to process your application. For example, in order to apply for the lump sum death benefit, you will need to provide a Birth Certificate, proof of US Citizenship, applicable military documents (such as a DD214), W-2s, and the Death Certificate for the person who has died. When you apply the Social Security Administration will require you to provide your name, your Social Security number, and all pertinent information about the decedent.

Find out more about the documents and information that you must provide by provide clicking on the link below.

https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/survivors/

It is extremely important that you make sure that you are receiving the benefits you are entitled to from the Social Security Administration. In some cases, benefits are not retroactive or are severely limited retroactively.  This means that your benefits are only paid once you have applied for them.  

To put it simply, if you wait a year to apply for these benefits, then you will not receive back paid benefits for that year. In essence, you may lose money you are entitled to. It is best to apply for these benefits as soon as possible after the death of your loved one.

Here at Lynchard & Seely, PLLC, we understand the stress and hardship that you are going through during the death of a loved one. As always, we are here to help. Feel free to contact us anytime for a free consultation. We look forward to hearing from you.