Social Security death benefit timing - when will SS withdraw my dad's final payment?
My dad passed away in early September, and I'm handling his affairs. I know Social Security takes back the last month's payment when someone dies, but I'm confused about the timing. His September payment went into his checking account as usual on the 3rd Wednesday (he received SS retirement), but they haven't withdrawn it back yet. Strangely, no October payment came (which makes sense), but they still haven't pulled back the September payment even though we're now well into November. I'm using his account to pay his final bills, medical expenses, and funeral costs. I need to keep enough money in there for when SS does the withdrawal, but I don't want to leave too much sitting there either. Has anyone experienced this? How long does SS typically take to withdraw that final payment? Is there something I need to do to trigger this process?
14 comments
Join the conversation
Charity Cohan
my mom died last yr and they took back her last month payment like 6 weeks later. came as a big surprise cause nobody told us they would do that! almost caused her account to be overdrawn
0 coins
Jean Claude
•Thanks for sharing your experience. 6 weeks would put us right about now. I'll make sure to keep enough funds in the account for a while longer then. Did you have to notify SS about your mom's passing or did they find out some other way?
0 coins
Josef Tearle
I'm sorry for your loss. When Social Security takes back the payment depends on when they were notified of the death. They'll reclaim the benefit for the month of death because benefits are paid in arrears - meaning September's benefit is actually for August. The payment received in September was for August, which he was entitled to since he was alive the entire month. If he died in September, you're correct that there should be no October payment (which would have been for September). If you haven't already, you need to report his death to Social Security at 1-800-772-1213. They may already know from the funeral home reporting it, which could explain why October's payment didn't arrive. The withdrawal usually happens within 1-2 months once they've processed the death information.
0 coins
Jean Claude
•Thank you for explaining! I did report his death to SSA when I called about the survivor benefits, and the funeral home said they would report it as well. I was confused because I thought they would take back September's payment (which was for August), but your explanation makes sense. So since he lived all through August, that payment was rightfully his and they won't take it back? It's the potential October payment (for September) that wouldn't come because he didn't live all of September?
0 coins
Shelby Bauman
The most important thing is to make sure Social Security knows about the death. If the funeral home reported it, that's usually enough, but it doesn't hurt to follow up with the SSA directly. As for timing, in my experience they typically reclaim the funds within 45-60 days, but it can sometimes take longer. Keep in mind that Social Security benefits are paid for the previous month. So the payment received in September was actually for August. If your father was alive for all of August, he was entitled to that payment. Social Security will NOT take back a payment if the person was alive for the entire month the payment was for. It sounds like they already stopped the October payment (which would have been for September, when he passed), which means they know about his death. You should be fine to use the September payment for his expenses since that was for August when he was alive.
0 coins
Quinn Herbert
•but if he died sept 1st or 2nd then what? my uncle died on the 2nd day of month and they took the whole payment back even tho he lived most of previous month
0 coins
Salim Nasir
I went through exactly this when my wife passed away last year. Such a confusing and stressful time! Here's what I learned: 1. Social Security pays benefits for the previous month (payment in September = for August) 2. If the person lived the entire month, they're entitled to that benefit 3. The October payment didn't come because your dad wasn't alive all of September 4. They shouldn't withdraw the September payment if he was alive all of August BUT - if you're dealing with the SS death benefit (the one-time $255 payment), that's a different story and will be paid to the eligible survivor. Have you applied for this yet? I spent WEEKS trying to get through to Social Security to get everything sorted out. Ended up using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a live agent in under 5 minutes when I'd been trying for days. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - saved me so much frustration during an already difficult time.
0 coins
Jean Claude
•Thank you for sharing your experience and the clear explanation. My dad was alive all of August, so based on what you're saying, they shouldn't withdraw the September payment. That's a relief! I did apply for the death benefit when I called SSA, but they said only my mom would be eligible for it (they were still married). I'll check out that Claimyr service - I've been trying to get through to confirm everything is processed correctly and it's been impossible. Really appreciate the tip!
0 coins
Hazel Garcia
Social security is so confusing!!! when my husband passed they didnt take ANY money back but with my sister they took back the last payment!! Makes NO SENSE how they decide these things. I think it depends on who you talk to at SS and what mood their in that day Keep AT LEAST $1500 in that account for like 3 months to be safe. thats what I did. better safe than sorry!!!
0 coins
Laila Fury
•It's not about mood or who you talk to. The rules are clear - it's about when the person died and what month the payment was for. If your husband died at the end of a month after receiving that month's payment, they wouldn't take it back. If your sister died early in a month after getting paid for the previous month, they also wouldn't take it back. But if either received a payment for a month they weren't alive for the entire time, SS would take it back.
0 coins
Quinn Herbert
wait so do they always take back the last payment?? my grandma died last month and we didn't know this!
0 coins
Josef Tearle
•They don't always take back the last payment. Here's the simple rule: - Social Security benefits are for the PREVIOUS month (October payment = September benefit) - If the person was alive for the ENTIRE month, they're entitled to that month's benefit - If they died during a month, they aren't entitled to that month's benefit Example: If your grandma died in October, she was entitled to September's benefit (paid in October). The November payment (which would be for October) won't come because she wasn't alive all of October. However, if SS wasn't notified of her death in time, they might have issued an improper payment that they'll later reclaim. That's why it's important to notify them promptly.
0 coins
Charity Cohan
you should also look into the lump sum death benefit from SS. its only $255 but hey thats still something. i think spouse or dependent child can get it.
0 coins
Jean Claude
•Yes, thanks for mentioning that. I did ask about it when I called SSA to report my dad's death. They said my mom would be eligible since they were still married. Just waiting for that to process now.
0 coins