Do we have to return Social Security payment received after parent died but before SSA knew about death?

Sorry for your loss. Yes, you have to return the payment. SSA pays benefits for the PREVIOUS month, not current. So Feb payment was actually for January, which he was alive for (mostly). It's the MARCH payment you'd have to return if it came through.

First, I'm very sorry about your father. The previous commenter is incorrect. Social Security benefits are paid for the current month, not the previous month. Since your father passed away in January, he was not entitled to benefits for February. So yes, that payment will need to be returned. The proper procedure is to notify SSA of the death (which you mentioned the funeral home was supposed to do), and they'll send instructions about returning the payment. If it was direct deposit, they sometimes can reclaim it automatically from the bank. Don't spend that money. If the bank account is solely in your father's name, the bank might freeze it when they learn of his death. You won't face penalties as long as you don't spend the money and cooperate with the return process.

When my mom died last year, we had a similar situation. SSA eventually pulled the money back automatically about 6 weeks later - it just disappeared from her account one day with a note saying "Treasury reclamation" or something like that. But you should still report his death to SSA yourself and not wait for the funeral home - sometimes they forget or take forever. Just call and let them know.

I had to deal with this exact situation when my grandmother died. If it's a joint account, it's especially important that YOU contact SSA directly instead of waiting. The reclamation can happen automatically, but sometimes it doesn't. If it doesn't and then gets discovered during an audit years later, there could be penalties and interest. I found out the hard way. I recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a live person at SSA quickly. It saved me hours of frustration trying to reach them. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Worth it to get this resolved properly.

I work as a financial advisor specializing in retirement planning. Here's what you need to know: 1. Social Security benefits are paid in the current month they're for (unlike some pensions that pay a month behind). 2. When someone dies, they are not entitled to benefits for the month of death UNLESS they die on the very last day of the month. Since your father died on January 28th, he was not eligible for February's payment. 3. SSA will reclaim the payment, usually through the Treasury Department directly from the financial institution. 4. You should report his death to SSA as soon as possible (don't rely on funeral homes as they sometimes delay). 5. If you have power of attorney or are the representative payee, you're legally required to return the funds. Not doing so could potentially be considered fraud. I recommend calling SSA directly to report the death if it hasn't been reported yet. This is not something you want to leave unresolved.

WHATEVER YOU DO DONT SPEND THE MONEY!!!!! My uncle died and my aunt spent his last SS check and they came after her HARD!!!!! They took it out of HER social security check for like 6 months to get it back. The government always gets their money back!!!

One thing nobody mentioned - if your dad was married, his spouse might be entitled to a one-time death benefit of $255. Not much, but it's something. You should ask about that when you call SSA.

Since you had a joint account with your father, here's what will likely happen: SSA will notify the Treasury Department, which will then send a reclamation request to the bank. The bank will then debit the account for the amount of the payment. This typically happens within 1-3 months after they've been notified of the death. If you've already reported the death to SSA by phone, you've done what you need to do. Just make sure that money remains in the account. If you want extra reassurance, you can visit your local SSA office in person with a copy of the death certificate.