Can Social Security Form SSA-1724 be processed 5 years after death with closed bank account?
My mother-in-law just found out she could recover underpayment of benefits owed to my father-in-law who passed away 5 years ago. She's completing Form SSA-1724 (Claim for Amounts Due in the Case of a Deceased Beneficiary), but we're worried about how she'll receive payment since she closed his original bank account shortly after his death. Does anyone know if SSA will just mail her a check instead? Or will they insist on depositing to the original account which no longer exists? She's on a fixed income and this underpayment is around $4,800 which would really help her. The local office is impossible to reach by phone and the next available appointment is 2 months away.
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Diego Fernández
They will issue a check to her directly as the surviving spouse. SSA doesn't need to use the deceased's original account. My mom went through this exact process about 3 years ago (although it was only about 2 years after my dad passed). She just had to provide proof that she was the surviving spouse and submit the SSA-1724 with supporting documentation. The underpayment check came in her name about 6-8 weeks after submission. Make sure she includes her direct deposit information on the form if she wants it deposited to her account instead of receiving a paper check.
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Chloe Martin
•Thank you so much! That's a huge relief. Did your mom have to provide the marriage certificate as proof? We have the original but I wasn't sure if we need to get it certified again or if a copy is enough.
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Anastasia Kuznetsov
thay sent me a check when my husband died but it was only 3 months after not 5 YEARS. not sure if theres a time limit on this stuff?? anybody know????
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Sean Fitzgerald
•There's no time limit for a surviving spouse to file for underpayments. The regulations at 20 CFR 404.503 make it clear that underpayments to a deceased beneficiary can be paid to a surviving spouse regardless of when the claim is filed. The 5-year delay doesn't disqualify her from receiving these funds. However, certain other individuals like children or parents of the deceased might have time limits depending on dependency status.
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Zara Khan
When my sister died SSA was IMPOSSIBLE to deal with!!! We tried calling for WEEKS and couldn't get through. The local office had a LINE AROUND THE BLOCK every morning and appointments were booked 3 months out. She was owed about $2300 in underpayments and they kept giving us the runaround about the paperwork. FINALLY we used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got us connected to a real person at SSA in under 5 minutes! They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU After we got through, the agent actually helped us complete the form correctly and told us they would mail the check directly to the surviving spouse (my brother-in-law). It arrived about 5 weeks later.
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Chloe Martin
•That's interesting - I've never heard of Claimyr before. Did you have to provide any sensitive information to use their service? Maybe I'll check out that video. My mother-in-law is getting really anxious about this since she's on such a tight budget.
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Zara Khan
•No sensitive info required! It just connects you straight through to SSA - you still talk directly with the actual Social Security agents. It was honestly such a relief after weeks of trying to get through. The video explains it pretty well. Definitely worth it for us since we were at our wits' end.
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MoonlightSonata
I work part time helping seniors with paperwork and have assisted with several SSA-1724 claims. Here's what you need to know: 1. The money will come as a check to the surviving spouse or can be direct deposited to HER account (not the deceased's) 2. She needs to provide: - Death certificate (copy is usually fine) - Marriage certificate (copy is usually fine) - Her ID - The completed SSA-1724 form - Optional but helpful: any notices about the underpayment 3. Processing typically takes 4-8 weeks but can be longer with the current backlog One important thing - make sure she checks Part 3 of the form correctly. Many people mark the wrong box which causes delays.
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Chloe Martin
•This is super helpful! We have copies of all these documents ready. What's the specific issue with Part 3? I want to make sure we get it right the first time.
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MoonlightSonata
•In Part 3, she needs to check the box that says she's the "surviving spouse who was living with the deceased at the time of death" (assuming that's true). Some people mistakenly check the box for "legal representative of the estate" which requires additional documentation and probate proceedings. Also, make sure she signs in TWO places - both Part 4 and Part 7. Missing one signature is the most common reason these get returned.
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Mateo Gonzalez
Don't mean to be negative but just be prepared this might take FOREVER!!!! My dad was owed $3700 and after he died, my mom filed that form. SSA lost it TWICE and then claimed she needed to come in person (she's disabled and can't easily travel). The whole process took almost 7 months and caused so much stress. Just document EVERYTHING and keep copies of all paperwork you send them!!!
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Chloe Martin
•Oh no, that sounds awful. My mother-in-law is 79 and gets stressed easily. I'm going to make copies of everything and keep a log of all communications with SSA. Did your mom eventually get the payment?
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Mateo Gonzalez
•Yes she did finally get it, but only after I wrote to our congressman!!! Suddenly SSA was super helpful after that. The check came about 3 weeks after congressional inquiry. Maybe consider that route if they give you the runaround for too long.
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Nia Williams
my friend told me SS only pays the underpayment if you file within 30 days of the person dying. after 5 years they won't pay anything!
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Sean Fitzgerald
•That information is incorrect. There is no 30-day filing deadline for underpayments to deceased beneficiaries. The Social Security Act specifically provides that a surviving spouse can file for underpayments at any time. Your friend might be confusing this with the lump-sum death payment of $255, which must be applied for within 2 years, or perhaps with some state-specific probate rules that don't apply to federal Social Security benefits.
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Diego Fernández
One more tip based on my experience - when they process the payment, they'll send a detailed notice explaining how they calculated the underpayment amount. In my mom's case, they initially miscalculated and underpaid by about $1,200. We had to call and request a reconsideration, which was approved and they sent a supplemental payment. So double-check their math when you get the explanation!
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Chloe Martin
•That's good to know! We'll definitely review their calculations carefully. My father-in-law was getting both Social Security retirement and a small VA benefit, so I want to make sure they account for everything correctly.
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