Can Social Security Form SSA-1724 be processed 5 years after death with closed bank account?

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.

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????

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.

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.

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!!!

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!

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!

I went through this exact same situation with my grandmother last year - she was owed about $3,200 from my grandfather who passed 4 years earlier. The good news is SSA will absolutely send a check directly to your mother-in-law, no problem with the closed bank account. A few things that helped speed up our process: - Submit everything by certified mail so you have proof of delivery - Include a cover letter listing all the documents you're sending - If she has her own bank account, she can request direct deposit by including her banking info on the form The whole process took about 6 weeks for us, and they were very straightforward to deal with once we got the paperwork submitted correctly. Don't let the horror stories scare you - most cases go smoothly! The $4,800 will definitely help her, and she's absolutely entitled to it regardless of how much time has passed.

I'm a benefits counselor and have helped dozens of families with SSA-1724 claims over the years. Your mother-in-law is absolutely entitled to this underpayment regardless of the 5-year delay - there's no time limit for surviving spouses. A few practical tips from my experience: - SSA will mail her a check in her name, not deposit to the deceased's account - Make sure she completes the form in black ink (they sometimes reject blue ink) - Include a brief note explaining the delay in filing if you want, though it's not required - Consider having her sign up for a my Social Security account online to track the claim status The current processing time in my area is running about 8-10 weeks, but that $4,800 will come through. I've never seen a properly completed SSA-1724 from a surviving spouse get denied. Just be patient with the process - SSA is severely understaffed right now but they do process these claims reliably.

I handled a similar situation for my aunt about 18 months ago when we discovered her late husband was owed around $5,200 in underpayments - he had passed 3 years prior. SSA processed everything smoothly and sent her a Treasury check directly to her home address within about 7 weeks. A couple of additional suggestions based on our experience: - Make photocopies of everything before mailing (including the completed form) - Consider calling SSA's main number (1-800-772-1213) to confirm they received your submission after about 2 weeks - If your mother-in-law prefers direct deposit, she can include a voided check from her personal account with the form The representatives we spoke with were actually quite helpful once we got through to them. They confirmed that the closed bank account wouldn't be an issue at all - they automatically issue payment to the surviving spouse rather than trying to use the deceased person's banking information. That $4,800 is rightfully hers, and the 5-year gap won't affect her eligibility in any way.

I'm so glad you asked about this! My grandfather passed away 6 years ago and we just discovered last month that he was owed over $3,000 in underpayments. My grandmother was terrified that too much time had passed, but we filed the SSA-1724 anyway. The process was actually much smoother than expected. SSA sent her a check directly to her home address within 8 weeks - no issues at all with the old bank account being closed. The representative we spoke with explained that they always pay surviving spouses directly rather than trying to access the deceased person's accounts. A few things that helped us: - We sent everything via certified mail with return receipt - Included clear photocopies of all documents (death certificate, marriage certificate, her ID) - Made sure she signed in both required places on the form - Added her direct deposit info which worked perfectly Your mother-in-law shouldn't worry about the 5-year timeframe at all. As a surviving spouse, she has no time limit to claim these benefits. That $4,800 is rightfully hers and will definitely come through. The wait is frustrating but the outcome is pretty much guaranteed if the paperwork is complete!

I just wanted to add another success story to hopefully give your mother-in-law even more confidence! My neighbor went through this exact same situation about 8 months ago - her husband had passed away 4 years earlier and she discovered he was owed around $3,500 in underpayments. She was also worried about the time that had passed and the fact that she'd closed his bank account. The whole process went very smoothly. SSA sent her a check directly within about 6 weeks, and there were absolutely no issues with the closed bank account. They don't even try to use the deceased person's banking information - they automatically process payment to the surviving spouse. One thing that really helped her was organizing all the documents first: death certificate copy, marriage certificate copy, her current ID, and a voided check from her own account for direct deposit. She also made sure to keep copies of everything she sent and used certified mail. The $4,800 your mother-in-law is owed will definitely help her, and she shouldn't stress about the 5-year timeframe at all. As everyone here has confirmed, there's no time limit for surviving spouses to claim these underpayments. The process might take a couple months, but the outcome is pretty much guaranteed with proper paperwork!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share what happened with my aunt last year. She was in almost the exact same situation - my uncle passed away 4 years ago and she discovered he was owed about $4,200 in underpayments. She had also closed his bank account within months of his death. The whole process was actually much easier than we expected! SSA automatically sends payment to the surviving spouse - they don't even attempt to use the deceased person's old banking information. She received a Treasury check in her name about 7 weeks after submitting the SSA-1724 form. A few things that helped us: - We organized everything beforehand: death certificate copy, marriage certificate copy, her current photo ID, and a voided check from her personal account for direct deposit - Sent everything via certified mail with tracking - Made photocopies of the completed form and all supporting documents before mailing - Called SSA about 2 weeks later to confirm they received everything The 4-year delay wasn't an issue at all - the representative we spoke with confirmed that surviving spouses have no time limit to file for underpayments. Your mother-in-law shouldn't worry about the 5-year timeframe. That $4,800 is rightfully hers and will definitely come through. The hardest part is just being patient during the 6-8 week processing time, but the outcome is pretty much guaranteed with complete paperwork!

I just wanted to chime in as someone who works in estate administration - I see these SSA-1724 cases regularly and want to reinforce what others have said. Your mother-in-law is absolutely entitled to this money regardless of the 5-year gap. The Social Security Administration has specific procedures for exactly this situation. A few additional points that might help: - SSA will never attempt to deposit into a deceased person's closed account - they always issue payment directly to the surviving spouse - The form asks for the survivor's banking information, not the deceased person's, so the closed account is completely irrelevant - Processing times vary by region, but I typically see 6-10 weeks for straightforward cases like this - Keep copies of everything and consider hand-delivering to your local SSA office if possible to avoid mail delays The $4,800 underpayment is significant and will definitely help her finances. Don't let the horror stories discourage you - most SSA-1724 claims for surviving spouses go smoothly when the paperwork is complete. The key is just being thorough with documentation and patient with the processing time. She's got every right to this money and SSA processes thousands of these claims successfully every year!