Social Security check not received after death in March - can surviving spouse claim it?
My father-in-law passed away on March 15th, 2025, but we noticed his April SS payment (which would've been for March) never showed up in his bank account. Since he was alive for half of March, I thought his final benefit payment should still have been issued. My mother-in-law is really struggling financially right now and could really use that money. Does anyone know if a surviving spouse is entitled to receive that final month's payment? I vaguely remember reading something about this on this forum a while back, but I can't find the post now. The monthly amount would be about $2,200 which would really help with some of the funeral expenses they're still paying off. Any advice from someone who's dealt with this situation before would be greatly appreciated!
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Miguel Ramos
Yes, your mother-in-law should be entitled to that payment. Social Security benefits are paid in arrears, meaning the April payment would be for March. Since your father-in-law was alive during March, that payment should be issued. Your mother-in-law needs to contact Social Security directly to notify them of his passing (if she hasn't already) and inquire about the missing payment. They'll guide her through the process of claiming that final benefit payment. Make sure she has his death certificate and their marriage certificate available when she calls.
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Ava Thompson
•Thank you so much! She did report his death to SSA already, but they didn't mention anything about the final payment. I'll tell her to call them back specifically about this issue.
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Zainab Ibrahim
my mom went thru this last year when dad died. the payment doesn't come automatically after u report the death. she had to fill out a form at the SS office and then they issued the payment about 3 weeks later. cant remember what the form was called tho.
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StarSailor
•The form is probably the SSA-1724 (Claim for Amounts Due in the Case of a Deceased Beneficiary). That's what I had to complete when my husband passed away in 2024. The Social Security office should have this form available, but they don't always tell you about it unless you specifically ask about the missing payment.
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Connor O'Brien
CAREFUL HERE - the rules on this are confusing! When my uncle died on March 2nd last year, they actually made my aunt RETURN his March payment because you're not supposed to get a payment for the month of death no matter what day it happens. But then someone at SSA told her later she COULD have kept it since he was entitled to it for the days he was alive! SSA's own employees don't understand their rules half the time!!!
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Yara Sabbagh
•Actually, the rule is that Social Security benefits are paid in the month FOLLOWING the month for which they are due. So the payment received in April is for March. If someone dies in March, they don't receive the April payment (for March) automatically - the surviving spouse needs to claim it. But if someone dies in March and a payment for March is mistakenly deposited in April, that payment doesn't need to be returned because the person was entitled to March benefits. What often gets confusing is that the payment for the month in which the person died (so the April payment for April benefits in this case) is not payable. That's probably what happened with your aunt - they were referring to different monthly payments.
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Keisha Johnson
i went through this exact thing when my husband died last june. i had to wait FOREVER on hold with ssa just to ask about this - like 2+ hours! finally gave up and tried again the next day with same result. finally got through on the third try but by then i was so frustrated!
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Paolo Rizzo
•Hey, you might want to try Claimyr next time you need to reach SSA. I discovered it when I was dealing with my dad's survivor benefits. Instead of waiting for hours, they call SSA for you and connect you when an agent is ready. Saved me literally hours of wait time. Just go to claimyr.com - there's a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Way better than listening to that hold music for hours only to get disconnected!
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Zainab Ibrahim
wait i thought SS payments were for the current month not the previous month? now im confused
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StarSailor
•Social Security retirement benefits are paid one month in arrears. The payment received in April is for March benefits. SSI (Supplemental Security Income) works differently - those payments are for the current month. That might be where your confusion comes from.
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Ava Thompson
Quick update: My mother-in-law called SSA today and they confirmed she IS entitled to the March payment since he was alive during that month. They're sending her a form to fill out (sounds like the SSA-1724 that someone mentioned). Thank you all for your help!
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Miguel Ramos
•That's great news! Just make sure she completes and returns that form promptly. Also, don't forget that she may be eligible for a one-time death benefit of $255 if she hasn't already claimed it. And depending on their respective benefit amounts, she might be eligible for survivor benefits that could be higher than her own retirement benefits.
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Keisha Johnson
My husband's final check got direct deposited after I reported his death and then the bank FROZE the account and I couldn't access ANY of our money for 2 weeks!! Make sure your mother-in-law checks with her bank about their policies for accounts when someone dies! Some banks are TERRIBLE about this!!!!
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Ava Thompson
•Oh that's a really good point I hadn't considered. They have a joint account but I'll tell her to check with the bank about this. Thanks for the warning!
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Connor O'Brien
wait how do u report a death to SS anyway? i need to know for my parents (they're getting older
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Yara Sabbagh
•You can report a death to Social Security by calling their main number at 1-800-772-1213, or by contacting your local Social Security office. You cannot report a death online. Generally, funeral homes will report the death if you provide them with the deceased's Social Security number as part of their services, but it's always good to follow up directly with SSA to ensure everything is properly processed and to discuss any survivor benefits that might be available.
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