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.

I'm sorry for your loss, Eli. I went through something very similar when my father passed away on the 1st of March last year. The confusion around this specific rule is really common - even some SSA employees don't know about the "1st of the month" exception. Just to reinforce what others have said: your brother IS entitled to the August payment since he died on August 1st. This is covered under POMS GN 02408.610. When I submitted my SSA-1724 form, I actually printed out that policy section and included it with my paperwork because the first representative I spoke with wasn't aware of this rule. One thing that helped me was keeping detailed records of every call attempt, including dates, times, and any reference numbers they gave me. When I finally got through, having that documentation showed them how long I'd been trying to resolve this. The whole process took about 6 weeks from when I first submitted the form until I received the payment, but that included some back-and-forth because of the representative's initial confusion about the rule. Hang in there - you'll get through this!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Eli. Losing a loved one is never easy, especially when you're dealing with the bureaucratic maze of Social Security on top of everything else. Just wanted to add one more helpful tip that I learned when I went through this with my mom: If you're still having trouble getting through to SSA after trying the phone service others mentioned, you can also try contacting your local congressional representative's office. They have dedicated staff who handle Social Security issues and can sometimes cut through the red tape much faster than calling SSA directly. My representative's office was able to get my mom's final payment processed in about 2 weeks after I'd been struggling for over a month on my own. They're used to dealing with these kinds of situations and know exactly who to contact at SSA. You can usually find your representative's contact info on their official website, and most have a specific form for Social Security assistance requests. It's definitely worth trying if the other options don't work out. Wishing you the best of luck getting this resolved!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Eli. Dealing with Social Security bureaucracy while grieving is incredibly difficult. I wanted to share something that might help - when my aunt passed away on the 1st of January a few years ago, I ran into the exact same confusion. What I learned is that many SSA phone representatives aren't familiar with the "death on the 1st" rule, so you might get different answers depending on who you speak with. When filling out the SSA-1724 form, I'd recommend being very explicit about the date and including a brief note that says something like "Beneficiary died on August 1, 2024 - entitled to August benefit per POMS GN 02408.610 (death on first day of month exception)." This saved me from having to re-explain the situation multiple times. Also, if you haven't already, make sure to keep copies of everything you submit. I had to resubmit documents once because they claimed they never received my original packet. The waiting is really frustrating, but based on what others have shared here, it sounds like you're on the right track. Hang in there!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Eli. Dealing with Social Security after losing a loved one is overwhelming, especially when you're getting conflicting information. Everyone here has given you excellent advice about the "first of the month" rule and the SSA-1724 form. I wanted to add one small tip that helped me when I was in a similar situation: when you do get through to SSA (whether by phone or in person), ask the representative to make notes in your brother's file about your call and what was discussed. This way, if you need to call back or if there are any delays, the next person you speak with will have a record of your previous conversations. Also, don't be afraid to politely ask to speak with a supervisor if the first representative you talk to seems unfamiliar with the "death on first day of month" exception. Some front-line staff aren't as familiar with this specific rule, but supervisors usually are. You're doing everything right by gathering all the documentation and being persistent. This process is frustrating even under the best circumstances, but you'll get through it. Wishing you strength during this difficult time.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Eli. Losing someone to early-onset dementia is especially heartbreaking, and dealing with Social Security paperwork during grief just adds to the stress. Everyone here has given you solid advice about the SSA-1724 form and the "first day of month" exception. I went through this exact situation when my stepfather passed on September 1st last year. What I found helpful was creating a simple checklist before submitting everything: 1. SSA-1724 form completed with explicit mention of the August 1st death date 2. Copy of death certificate showing the exact date 3. Receipts/documentation of funeral expenses you paid 4. Copy of your representative payee documentation 5. The SSA letter acknowledging his death 6. A brief cover letter referencing POMS GN 02408.610 I also made copies of everything and sent it certified mail so I'd have proof they received it. The whole process took about 5 weeks from submission to receiving the payment, but having everything organized upfront seemed to prevent any requests for additional documentation. One last thing - don't forget about that $255 lump sum death benefit (form SSA-8) if you paid for funeral expenses. It's not much, but every bit helps during this difficult time. You've got this, and this community is here to support you through the process.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Eli. Dealing with Social Security issues while grieving is incredibly difficult, and the conflicting information makes it even more stressful. I wanted to share something that might help speed up your process - if you're still having trouble getting through to SSA, try calling their main number (1-800-772-1213) first thing in the morning when they open at 8 AM. The wait times are usually much shorter then. Also, when you do get through, have your brother's Social Security number ready along with your representative payee documentation. Everyone here has given you excellent advice about the SSA-1724 form and the "first day of month" rule. One additional tip: when you submit the form, consider including a brief timeline of events (date of death, when you notified SSA, when you received their acknowledgment letter, etc.). This can help the claims processor understand your situation more quickly. The fact that SSA already knows about his death and has asked for your contact information is actually a good sign - it means they're expecting to process a final payment. Hang in there, and don't hesitate to keep advocating for yourself. You're doing everything right.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Eli. Losing someone to early-onset dementia is incredibly difficult, and having to navigate Social Security bureaucracy during such a painful time just adds to the burden. Reading through all the responses here, it's clear you've gotten some excellent and accurate advice. The community really came together to help clarify this confusing rule. Just to add one more perspective from someone who works adjacent to these issues - the "death on the first day of the month" exception (POMS GN 02408.610) is indeed real but unfortunately not widely known, even among some SSA staff. Given that it's been 5 weeks since you received SSA's acknowledgment letter, I'd strongly recommend trying multiple approaches simultaneously: use that phone service someone mentioned to get through faster, visit your local office if possible, and definitely consider reaching out to your congressional representative's office as suggested. Sometimes having multiple touchpoints helps move things along. When you do connect with SSA, be prepared to educate them about their own policy if needed. It sounds like you now have all the documentation and knowledge you need. The fact that you were his representative payee should actually make this process smoother once you get the right person on the case. You're handling this incredibly well under very difficult circumstances. This community clearly has your back, and you will get through this.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Eli. Losing someone to early-onset dementia is heartbreaking, and dealing with Social Security issues while grieving makes everything so much harder. I wanted to jump in because I actually went through this exact situation when my mother passed away on March 1st two years ago. The "death on the first day of the month" rule is real but surprisingly not well-known, even among some SSA representatives. From reading all the excellent advice here, you now have a solid game plan. I'd just add one thing that really helped me: when I finally got through to SSA, I asked them to put me on a three-way call with their technical support team to confirm the POMS GN 02408.610 policy. This way, if there was any confusion about the rule, we could resolve it immediately rather than having to call back later. Also, I see someone mentioned the congressional representative route - this was a game-changer for me. My representative's office had a dedicated Social Security caseworker who knew exactly how to navigate these situations. They got my mom's final payment processed in about 10 days after I'd been struggling for over a month. You're being incredibly thorough in documenting everything and getting all the right forms together. The fact that you were his representative payee will definitely work in your favor once you get to someone who understands the process. Hang in there - you've got this, and this community clearly has your back every step of the way.