Social Security death benefit timing - when will SS withdraw my dad's final payment?

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

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.

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.

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.

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!!!

wait so do they always take back the last payment?? my grandma died last month and we didn't know this!

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.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Jean Claude. Going through this bureaucracy while grieving is incredibly difficult. Based on what others have shared here, it sounds like you're in a good position - since your dad was alive for all of August, that September payment (which was for August) should rightfully stay in his account. The fact that no October payment came suggests SS already knows about his passing and stopped future payments appropriately. I'd recommend keeping a buffer in the account for another month or so just to be absolutely safe, but from everything I've read here, you should be able to use those funds for his final expenses without worry. The $255 death benefit for your mom is a separate matter and should come through eventually - these things just take time unfortunately. Have you considered getting everything in writing from SS just for your peace of mind? Sometimes having that documentation helps when you're managing an estate.

I'm really sorry for your loss. This is such a stressful situation to navigate while you're already dealing with grief. From my understanding and what others have shared here, it sounds like you're actually in the clear. Since your dad was alive for all of August, that September payment (which covered August) should remain in his account - they won't take it back. The absence of an October payment indicates SS already processed his death and stopped future benefits correctly. I'd suggest keeping a reasonable buffer in the account for another 4-6 weeks just to be completely safe, but you should be able to use those funds for his final expenses. The timing varies, but if they were going to reclaim anything, it would likely have happened by now given that other people have reported 6-8 week timeframes. Also, make sure you follow up on that $255 death benefit for your mom if you haven't heard back yet. Sometimes you need to be persistent with these government processes. Hang in there - you're handling a difficult situation really well.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Jean Claude. This is such a difficult time to be dealing with bureaucratic details. From what I understand about Social Security benefits, you're likely in the clear regarding that September payment. Since benefits are paid for the previous month, the September payment was for August when your dad was alive the entire month, so SS shouldn't take it back. The fact that no October payment came through suggests they already processed his death notification and stopped future payments appropriately. I'd recommend keeping a buffer in the account for maybe another month just to be completely safe, but you should be able to use those funds for his final expenses. One thing that might help is requesting written confirmation from Social Security about the status of his account and any reclamation actions. Having documentation can provide peace of mind when managing estate matters. Also, don't forget to follow up on that $255 death benefit for your mom if you haven't heard back yet - sometimes these things need a gentle push. You're handling a really challenging situation with grace. Take care of yourself during this difficult time.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Jean Claude. Having gone through this with my father-in-law last year, I completely understand the stress of trying to figure out Social Security's timing while you're already dealing with so much. From what I experienced and what others have shared here, you're most likely in the clear with that September payment. Since SS benefits are paid for the previous month, that September payment was for August when your dad was alive the entire month. The fact that no October payment came through shows they already know about his passing and stopped future benefits correctly. I kept a buffer of about $800 in the account for two months after my father-in-law passed, just to be absolutely safe. SS never reclaimed anything because he was entitled to that final payment. I'd suggest keeping some cushion for maybe another 4-6 weeks, but you should be able to use those funds for his final expenses with confidence. One tip that helped me was calling SS and asking them to send written confirmation of the account status and any pending actions. Having that documentation was really helpful for the estate paperwork. Also, definitely follow up on that $255 death benefit for your mom if you don't hear back soon - sometimes you need to be persistent with these processes. You're handling an incredibly difficult situation really well. Take care of yourself during this time.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Jean Claude. What you're going through sounds incredibly stressful on top of an already difficult time. From everything I've read here, it sounds like you can breathe a little easier - that September payment should be yours to keep since it was for August when your dad was alive the whole month. I went through something similar with my grandmother a few years back, and the waiting and uncertainty was honestly the worst part. We kept expecting them to take money back but they never did because she was entitled to that final payment. The fact that they already stopped the October payment shows the system is working correctly. I'd echo what others have said about keeping maybe $500-1000 as a buffer for another month or two, just for peace of mind. But based on everyone's experiences here, you should be able to move forward with using those funds for his final expenses. Have you been able to get through to SS at all recently to check on the status? I know it's nearly impossible sometimes, but if you can get someone on the phone, asking for written confirmation of everything might save you some worry down the road. Hang in there - you're doing everything right in a really tough situation.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Jean Claude. Having to navigate Social Security bureaucracy while grieving is incredibly overwhelming, and you're handling it with such grace. Based on everyone's experiences shared here, it really sounds like you can feel confident about that September payment. Since Social Security pays benefits for the previous month, that September payment was rightfully your dad's for being alive all of August. The fact that no October payment came through shows they already processed his death and stopped future benefits correctly. I lost my aunt last year and went through a very similar situation. We kept waiting for them to reclaim her final payment, but they never did because she was entitled to it. The uncertainty was honestly worse than if they had just taken it right away! I'd suggest keeping that $1000 buffer you mentioned for maybe another month, but you should feel comfortable using those funds for his final expenses. Getting that written confirmation from SS that others have mentioned is a great idea too - it really helped give me peace of mind when I was settling my aunt's affairs. You're doing everything right in an impossible situation. Take care of yourself during this difficult time.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Jean Claude. Having been through this with my mother-in-law two years ago, I completely understand the anxiety of not knowing when or if Social Security will take action. From what I experienced and what everyone here has shared, you're most likely in the clear with that September payment. Since your dad was alive for all of August, he was entitled to that benefit, and SS typically doesn't reclaim payments the person was rightfully due. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple timeline document for my own records: date of death, last payment received, when I notified SS, etc. It made me feel more organized during a chaotic time and was helpful when I eventually spoke with SS representatives. The waiting period is honestly the worst part - we kept checking the account daily expecting money to disappear, but it never happened. I'd recommend keeping that buffer you mentioned for peace of mind, but you should be able to move forward with handling his final expenses. You're navigating an incredibly difficult situation with such thoughtfulness and care. Your dad would be proud of how you're handling everything.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Jean Claude. What you're going through is incredibly difficult, and having to worry about Social Security timing on top of everything else just adds unnecessary stress. From everything I've read here and my own experience when my grandfather passed, it sounds like you're in good shape with that September payment. The key thing everyone keeps mentioning is that SS benefits are paid for the previous month - so that September payment was for August when your dad was alive the entire month. Since he was entitled to it, they shouldn't take it back. The fact that no October payment came through is actually a good sign - it means they already know about his passing and stopped future payments correctly. In my grandfather's case, we waited about 8 weeks expecting them to reclaim his final payment, but they never did because he had earned it. I'd suggest keeping that buffer in the account for another month or so just for absolute peace of mind, but based on everyone's experiences here, you should be able to use those funds for his final expenses without worry. The timeline idea Connor mentioned is really smart too - having everything documented will help if you need to reference dates later. You're handling an impossible situation with such care and thoroughness. Take it one day at a time.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Jean Claude. Dealing with Social Security bureaucracy while grieving is incredibly overwhelming, and you're handling it with such strength. From everything shared here, it really sounds like you can feel confident about that September payment. The consistent pattern everyone's describing is that when someone was alive for the entire month that a payment covers, Social Security doesn't reclaim it. Since your dad was alive all of August, that September payment was rightfully his. I went through something very similar with my stepfather last year. We kept expecting them to take back his final payment, but after about 10 weeks of checking the account daily, we realized they weren't going to because he was entitled to it. The absence of your dad's October payment shows they already processed his death correctly and stopped future benefits. I'd recommend keeping that $1000 buffer you mentioned for another 4-6 weeks for complete peace of mind, but you should be able to move forward with using those funds for his final expenses. The timeline documentation suggestion is brilliant too - I wish I had thought to do that when I was going through this. You're navigating an incredibly difficult situation with such thoughtfulness. Your dad would be proud of how you're taking care of everything. Take care of yourself during this time - you deserve that kindness too.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Jean Claude. Having to navigate these bureaucratic details while grieving is exhausting, and you're handling it with remarkable grace. Based on all the experiences shared here, it really sounds like you can breathe easier about that September payment. The consistent pattern everyone's describing is reassuring - when someone was alive for the entire month that a Social Security payment covers, they don't reclaim it. Since your dad was alive all of August, that September payment was rightfully his. I went through something similar when my uncle passed away last year. We spent weeks anxiously checking his account, expecting Social Security to withdraw his final payment, but they never did because he was entitled to it. The waiting and uncertainty was honestly the hardest part of the whole process. The fact that no October payment came through is actually a positive sign - it shows Social Security already knows about your dad's passing and correctly stopped future benefits. I'd suggest keeping that buffer in the account for another month or so for complete peace of mind, but you should feel confident using those funds for his final expenses. Creating that timeline document everyone mentioned is such a smart idea too. Having all the dates organized will help you feel more in control and be prepared for any future conversations with SS representatives. You're handling an incredibly difficult situation with such thoughtfulness and care. Take things one day at a time, and remember to be gentle with yourself during this process.