Confused about survivor benefits vs. representative payee after husband's death - SS payment missing

You're absolutely right to be confused - the SSA rep gave you incorrect information. What you need is to be designated as your mother's "Appointed Representative" (Form SSA-1696), NOT a "Representative Payee." These are two completely different things: 1. Appointed Representative: Allows you to speak to SSA on her behalf, attend meetings, help with paperwork, etc. 2. Representative Payee: Receives and manages the beneficiary's payments when they cannot manage their own finances. As for the payments - if your father's payment was deposited after his death, SSA will likely request that money back. Your mother needs to apply for survivor benefits, which will generally be equal to your father's benefit if it was higher than her own. This doesn't happen automatically.

the payment thats in there now is probably his payment for last month since ss pays a month behind. they'll take that back eventually. my mom went thru this when my dad died just fyi

So does my mom need to apply in person for the survivor benefits? The rep I spoke with was really confusing about this. I'm worried her income will drop if we don't get this figured out soon.

after my wife died I was on hold 4 HOURS trying to set up survivor benefits!!! worst experience of my life and I was still grieving!!!! the govt should be ASHAMED how they treat seniors!!

Random question but is anyone else confused by all these different forms?? My aunt is trying to become rep for my uncle (he had stroke) and the SSA website is impossible to navigate!! Why do they make everything so complicated???

just wondering but did they ask for the death certificate when u reported his death?? my friend had huge problems cuz she didnt have enough copies

Very important: For your mother's survivor benefits, make sure to emphasize to SSA that you're requesting the "RETIREMENT INSURANCE BENEFIT and WIDOW'S INSURANCE BENEFIT." For a widow at 82, she's entitled to either her own retirement benefit or a survivor benefit based on your father's record - whichever is HIGHER. Also, do NOT wait on that appointment letter if it's been more than a week. Call again and request an appointment date. With survivor benefits, every month you delay can potentially mean lost benefits.

When my mom passed, my dad had a similar issue. The SSA kept him on hold for hours. He eventually went directly to the local office and sat there all day, but got it resolved same-day. If you can physically go to the office with your mom, sometimes that's faster than phone calls.

I went through this exact situation when my father passed last year. A few important things to add to what others have said: 1. Don't wait for that appointment letter - call back and demand a specific date. I waited 3 weeks for a letter that never came. 2. When you do get the appointment, bring EVERYTHING: death certificate, marriage certificate, both parents' Social Security cards, your mom's ID, and your ID. They'll want to see proof of the 45-year marriage. 3. The payment in her account is likely your dad's final month - DO NOT touch it. SSA will claw it back automatically, usually within 30-60 days. 4. Your mom may be entitled to retroactive benefits going back to the month after your father's death, so don't let them tell you she can only get benefits starting from when she applies. 5. If her own benefit is higher than the survivor benefit, she'll keep her own. But at 82, the survivor benefit is probably higher. The whole process took about 6 weeks for us, but mom got a nice retroactive payment once it was all sorted out. Hang in there - it's frustrating but you'll get through it.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Chloe. Going through SSA bureaucracy while grieving is incredibly difficult. I went through something similar when my mom passed two years ago, and I wanted to share a few things that might help: First, you're absolutely right to question the representative payee designation - that's completely wrong for your situation. The SSA-1696 form for Appointed Representative is exactly what you need. You can download it from ssa.gov, but I'd recommend bringing it to the appointment rather than mailing it in, since you'll need to be there for the survivor benefits application anyway. Second, about that payment in her account - it's definitely your dad's final monthly payment (Social Security pays a month behind). Don't spend it! SSA will reclaim it automatically, usually through the bank within 60 days. When they do, the bank will just reverse the deposit. One thing I didn't see mentioned - make sure to ask about any potential underpayments your dad might have been owed. Sometimes there are small amounts that get paid to the surviving spouse as part of the process. Also, if you continue having trouble reaching SSA by phone, try calling first thing in the morning (8:00 AM exactly) or late in the afternoon around 4:00 PM. Those times seem to have shorter hold times in my experience. The waiting is frustrating, but once you get through the appointment, everything usually moves much faster. Hang in there!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Chloe. I just went through this exact situation when my dad passed away last fall, and I can tell you that you're getting some conflicting information that's making things more complicated than they need to be. First, everyone here is absolutely right - you do NOT need to become a representative payee. That SSA rep was completely wrong. The SSA-1696 Appointed Representative form is what you need, and it just lets you speak on her behalf. Here's what I learned the hard way: Don't wait for that appointment letter. I waited three weeks and it never came. Call back and tell them you need to schedule the survivor benefits appointment NOW. Be firm but polite, and ask to speak to a supervisor if the first person won't help. When you do get the appointment, bring your mom with you even if she's not feeling up to it - some offices won't process anything without the beneficiary present. And yes, that payment in her account is definitely your dad's final month. SSA will take it back automatically, so don't let her spend it. One more thing - if your mom was getting spousal benefits on your dad's record before he died, mention that right away. It makes the whole process smoother because they already have the marriage verification in their system. This whole process is awful when you're grieving, but once you get that appointment scheduled, everything moves much faster. You've got this!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Chloe. I went through this same nightmare when my husband passed away two years ago, and you're absolutely right to be confused - that SSA rep gave you completely wrong information. You do NOT need to become a representative payee! That's for people who can't manage their own finances. What you need is Form SSA-1696 (Appointed Representative) which just lets you speak to SSA on her behalf. The rep either didn't understand your situation or was poorly trained. About that payment - yes, it's your dad's final monthly payment since Social Security pays a month behind. DO NOT let your mom spend it. SSA will automatically reclaim it through the bank, usually within 30-60 days. Here's my advice: Stop waiting for that appointment letter and call back demanding a specific date. I waited weeks for a letter that never came. When you call, use these exact words: "I need to schedule an appointment for WIDOW'S INSURANCE BENEFITS and I need to complete Form SSA-1696 to become her APPOINTED REPRESENTATIVE." Bring everything to the appointment: death certificate, marriage certificate, both SS cards, both IDs, and recent tax returns. Your mom needs to be there in person. One last thing - ask about retroactive benefits back to February (the month after your dad died). They won't automatically mention this but she's entitled to it. The whole system is awful when you're grieving, but once you get that appointment, things move much faster. You've got this!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Chloe. I went through this exact situation when my mother passed away last year, and the confusion you're experiencing is unfortunately very common with SSA representatives who aren't properly trained on these distinctions. You are absolutely correct to question the representative payee designation - that's completely wrong for your situation. What you need is Form SSA-1696 (Appointment of Representative), which simply allows you to communicate with SSA on your mother's behalf without taking control of her finances. Regarding the payment that appeared in your mom's account - that's definitely your father's final monthly Social Security payment. Since SSA pays one month behind, this would be his payment for the month before he passed. Do NOT let your mother spend this money, as SSA will automatically reclaim it through their bank recovery process, typically within 30-60 days. Here's what I recommend: Stop waiting for that appointment letter and call SSA back immediately. Ask to speak with a supervisor if necessary, and use these specific terms: "I need to schedule an appointment for SURVIVOR BENEFITS application and I want to complete Form SSA-1696 to become my mother's APPOINTED REPRESENTATIVE." Make sure to ask about retroactive survivor benefits dating back to February (the month after your father's death) - they won't automatically mention this but she's entitled to it if she applies within the timeframe. The process is frustrating, but once you get that appointment scheduled and use the correct terminology, things should move much more smoothly. Hang in there!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Chloe. I went through something very similar when my father passed away last year, and I completely understand your frustration with the SSA representative giving you incorrect information. You are absolutely right to question the "representative payee" designation - that's completely wrong for your situation. A representative payee is for people who cannot manage their own finances due to mental incapacity or other severe limitations. What you actually need is Form SSA-1696 (Appointment of Representative), which simply allows you to speak with SSA on your mother's behalf without taking control of her money. Regarding the payment that appeared in her account - that's definitely your father's final Social Security payment. Since SSA pays one month behind, this would be his benefit for the month before he passed away. Whatever you do, don't let your mom spend that money! SSA will automatically reclaim it through their bank recovery process, usually within 30-60 days. My advice: Stop waiting for that appointment letter and call SSA back immediately. When you call, use these exact terms: "I need to schedule an appointment for my mother's SURVIVOR BENEFITS application, and I need to complete Form SSA-1696 to become her APPOINTED REPRESENTATIVE." If the first person doesn't understand, ask for a supervisor. Also, make sure to ask about retroactive survivor benefits going back to the month after your father's death. They won't automatically mention this, but she's entitled to it. The whole process is incredibly frustrating when you're grieving, but once you get the right appointment with someone who knows what they're doing, it should move much more smoothly. You've got this!