Social Security benefits after death - Do we need to return November payment?

I'm very sorry for your loss. To answer your question directly - yes, the November payment will need to be returned to Social Security. Social Security benefits are not prorated, and a recipient must live for the entire month to be entitled to that month's payment. Since your father-in-law's wife passed early in November, that payment will need to go back to SSA. You should contact SSA as soon as possible at 1-800-772-1213 to report the death. Most banks have agreements with SSA to automatically return payments received after death, so they may reclaim it electronically when they're notified.

sorry about your dad's wife. the ssa is TERRIBLE about this stuff. they just grab the money back with no warning!!! happened when my mom died and the bank account went negative because of autopays. make sure he stops ALL autopays from that account ASAP!!!

First, my condolences on your family's loss. I'm a retirement planner who works with SS issues frequently. I want to clarify something important: If your mother-in-law received Social Security benefits (whether retirement or survivors benefits from a previous spouse), the payment received in November was actually for October. SS pays a month behind. Since she was alive for all of October, that payment is legitimately hers/your father-in-law's and does NOT need to be returned. What will happen is that she won't receive a payment in December (which would have been for November). No action is needed regarding the November deposit if it was her regular monthly benefit for October. The $255 death benefit is separate, and your father-in-law should apply for that promptly if they were married.

To clarify for everyone: Social Security benefits are paid in the month following the month for which they are due. So a payment received in November is for October. If someone is entitled to a benefit for the month of death, the payment for that month will be made, but they are not entitled to any benefits for the month after death. For example: If someone died in November, they would be due the October payment (received in November). They would not be entitled to a November payment (which would normally come in December). The confusion often happens because banks sometimes return the most recent payment upon notification of death, but SSA will reissue it if the person was entitled to it. The key question is: Was the beneficiary alive for the ENTIRE month that the payment was for (not when it was received).

I went through this exact situation when my mom passed last year. The November payment your father-in-law received was actually for OCTOBER (SS pays a month behind). Since your mother-in-law was alive for all of October, that payment is legitimately theirs and doesn't need to be returned. However, when you report the death to Social Security, some banks automatically return the most recent payment received. If that happens, your father-in-law will need to contact SSA to have it reissued, which can be a hassle. I spent weeks trying to reach someone at Social Security about this same issue. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual SSA representative instead of waiting on hold forever. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. It was worth it to finally get a clear answer and get the payment reissued.

My husband died in Feb and I had spent the $$ too. I called SS to report his death and they told me the payment was for January which he was alive for the entire month so I did not have to pay it back. Regardless tho you must report the death asap to SS.

When my wife died, I was so confused about all this. Here's what I learned: SS payments come on the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Wednesday of the month, depending on birth date. Since your mother-in-law's birthday was 10/19, her payment would come on the 4th Wednesday. But the CRUCIAL point is that the payment received in November was actually for October. So if she passed in early November, the November payment (for October) is legitimately your father-in-law's since she was alive all of October. No need to return it. But beware! When you notify SSA of the death (which you must do), some banks will automatically return the most recent SS payment. Then you'll have to get it reissued, which is a nightmare. My bank did this even though they weren't supposed to, and it took me 2 months to get it straightened out.

I tried calling for weeks but could never get through. Eventually had to make an appointment at the local office, which took another 3 weeks to get. If I had to do it over, I'd try to handle everything in person from the start. The phone system is impossible, at least in my experience. Just prepare all documentation before going - death certificate, marriage certificate, both SSNs, etc.

don't 4get 2 ask about survivors benefits 4 ur father in law!!! he might be able 2 get higher payment based on her record depending on their ages and earnings. alot of people don't know about this!!!

To summarize what others have correctly stated: 1. The payment received in November was for October, and since your mother-in-law was alive for all of October, your father-in-law is entitled to keep it. 2. There will be no payment in December (which would have been for November). 3. When you report the death to SSA, be aware that some financial institutions automatically return the most recent payment, which can create complications. 4. Your father-in-law may be eligible for survivors benefits if your mother-in-law's benefit amount was higher than his current benefit. 5. He should apply for the $255 death benefit if they were married at the time of her passing. The most important step now is to contact SSA to report the death and discuss survivors benefits options.