Confused about Social Security payment after death - Was my brother entitled to August benefit when he died on Aug 1st?

First, I'm so sorry for your loss. To answer your question: Social Security benefits are paid a month BEHIND, not in advance. So the payment that would normally come in August is actually for July. You are correct that if someone passes on the 1st of the month, they are generally considered eligible for that month's payment, but that payment would come in September (for August). The form you need is the SSA-1724, which is the "Claim for Amounts Due in the Case of a Deceased Beneficiary." You'll need to provide proof that you paid for funeral expenses or were responsible for your brother's living expenses during his final illness. Hope this helps clarify things!

Social Security is SO CONFUSING with this stuff! When my mom passed last year, I got totally different answers from 3 different SSA representatives!!! The rules are: you DONT get a payment for the month the person dies. PERIOD. It doesn't matter if they died on the 1st or the 30th. But you SHOULD receive the payment from the previous month if it hadn't been paid yet. So if your sister died Aug 1, you should still get the JULY payment (which pays out in August), but NOT the August payment (which would pay out in September). Good luck getting through to them though... took me WEEKS of calling!!

The exact regulation you're looking for is in the SSA Program Operations Manual System (POMS) section GN 02408.610, which states that when a beneficiary dies on the first day of the month, they ARE entitled to benefits for their month of death. This is the ONLY exception to the general rule that benefits are not payable for the month of death. So in your case: - Your brother died August 1st - The July benefit would be paid in August (which is normal) - He is ALSO entitled to the August benefit because he died on the 1st (this would normally be paid in September) To claim that final August payment, you need form SSA-1724 as mentioned above. You'll need to submit documentation showing you were responsible for his care or paid for funeral expenses. File this ASAP as there can be processing delays.

my gran died last april and we had the SAME exact problem!! the lady at the social security office told me that if they die after getting the benefit for that month than you dont have to return it but you dont get any new ones. but then she also said something about a one-time death benefit of $255 that goes to the spouse or whoever paid for the funeral i think?? did they mention that to you?

I had to deal with this same situation last year when my father passed on the first of June. I can tell you from experience that getting through to SSA by phone is nearly impossible these days. I finally found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a real SSA agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting for hours or getting disconnected. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once I got through, the agent confirmed that since my dad died on the 1st, we were entitled to his benefit for that month. They helped me file the SSA-1724 form over the phone and I received the payment about 3 weeks later. Definitely worth checking out if you're struggling to reach someone.

sorry bout yr sister. my husband passed in 2020 and i had to deal with all this stuff too. the key is if they were alive ANY day in the month they get paid for the PREVIOUS month. so august payment is for july. but u dont get sept payment (for august) unless they lived at least 1 day in sept. there is a death benefit too but its only like $255 which is a joke considering funeral costs!!

To add to my previous comment, when you submit the SSA-1724 form, make sure you clearly note that your brother died on August 1st specifically. Some claims representatives aren't familiar with this special rule for deaths on the 1st of the month, so you might need to politely point them to their own policy (POMS GN 02408.610). Also, as someone else mentioned, don't forget to apply for the one-time death benefit of $255 if you were the one who paid for the funeral expenses. That's a separate benefit using form SSA-8 (Application for Lump-Sum Death Payment).

Yes, absolutely include a copy of the death certificate! That's essential documentation. Also bring proof that you paid the funeral expenses (receipts or bills in your name) and any documentation showing you were his representative payee. If you have the original letter from SSA acknowledging his death, include that too. One more tip: If you're able to visit your local SSA office in person rather than trying to call, you might have better luck. Many offices now allow walk-ins in the afternoon, but if you can schedule an appointment that's even better.