Social Security payment deposited after death - do we return September benefit?

I'm sorry for your loss. Unfortunately, Social Security benefits are not payable for the month of death, regardless of what day in the month the person died. So if he passed on September 14th, the September payment that was deposited will need to be returned to SSA. When SSA is notified of the death (either by the funeral home or directly), they will usually contact the bank directly to recover the funds. You might want to make sure that money stays in the account until SSA retrieves it.

when my husband died in 2018 the check that month went back automatically, the bank just took it back once social security notified them. don't spend it!!

The rule is that you must be alive for the entire month to receive the benefit for that month. Since your father-in-law passed on the 14th, he wasn't alive for the full month of September, so that payment will need to be returned. SSA will eventually find out about the death and reclaim the money, often directly from the bank account. If the account is closed before they can do this, they'll send an overpayment notice to the estate. You should also be aware that there is a one-time death benefit of $255 that can be paid to a surviving spouse or dependent child. If applicable in your situation, someone would need to apply for that benefit.

Yes, this is true for everyone receiving Social Security retirement, survivors, or disability benefits. The person must be alive for the entire month to be entitled to the payment for that month. Since your aunt passed on the 29th, the payment for that month would need to be returned to SSA. I would recommend checking with whoever handled her finances to make sure this was properly addressed.

I need to correct my previous statement - the situation is more nuanced. Social Security benefits are paid in the month following the month for which they are due. So the payment received in September is actually for August, and since he was alive for all of August, that payment is legitimate. You're right that he would not be entitled to a payment for September (which would normally arrive in October). However, if the payment received in September was specifically labeled as being FOR September (not August), then it would need to be returned. It's best to check the payment details to confirm exactly which month the payment was for.

When my mom died, I spent HOURS trying to get clear answers from SSA about this exact issue!! The way it works is: SS benefits are paid in arrears - meaning the payment you receive in a given month is for the PREVIOUS month. So the payment deposited at the end of September was actually for AUGUST. Since your father-in-law was alive for all of August, that payment is correctly his and you DO NOT need to return it. The October payment (for September) is the one he wouldn't be entitled to since he didn't live through the entire month of September. But since he passed away mid-September, SSA should be notified of the death and that payment won't be issued in the first place. I remember how stressful this was when dealing with my mom's estate - hang in there!

I went through this nightmare last year with my uncle. Spent weeks trying to reach someone at Social Security to get a straight answer. I kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an SSA representative in under 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent confirmed exactly what others have said here - the payment received in September was actually for August, so that payment was correctly his since he was alive all of August. You don't need to return it. No further payments should be issued after the death is reported. The funeral home usually reports the death, but it doesn't hurt to contact SSA directly to confirm they received the death notification.

my grandpa got a payment after he died and the bank took it back automatically!!!! we didn't have to do anything. But that was like 2 yrs ago maybe they do it differnt now

be careful what you do with that $$ because my sister inlaw spent her husbands last check and then 6 MONTHS LATER social security demanded it back and she didnt have it any more!!!

One more thing to be aware of - if your father-in-law had a surviving spouse, they might be eligible for survivor benefits. The surviving spouse should contact SSA to determine if their own benefit would increase by switching to survivor benefits. This is often overlooked but can sometimes result in a higher monthly payment, especially if your father-in-law's benefit was larger than his spouse's current benefit.

I'm sorry for your loss. I went through this exact same situation when my grandmother passed away in August. The key thing to understand is that Social Security payments are made in arrears - meaning the payment you receive in any given month is actually for the PREVIOUS month. So that September payment was for August, and since your father-in-law was alive for all of August, you are entitled to keep that payment. The payment he would NOT be entitled to is the October payment (which would have been for September), but since the funeral home reported his death, SSA should automatically stop future payments. I'd still recommend calling SSA directly just to confirm the death was properly reported and to put your mind at ease. The 1-800-772-1213 number is usually best in the morning. You can also check online at ssa.gov to see if there's a way to verify the death notification was received. Don't stress too much about this - you're handling everything correctly by being proactive and asking the right questions.

I'm so sorry for your loss. This is such a common source of confusion and stress during an already difficult time. Based on what everyone has explained here, it sounds like you're in the clear with that September payment since it was actually for August when your father-in-law was alive the entire month. I'd just add that when you do call SSA to confirm the death notification was received, ask them specifically which month that September deposit was credited for - they should be able to tell you definitively. Also, make sure to get a reference number for your call in case you need to follow up later. The funeral home reporting process can sometimes take a few weeks to fully process through SSA's system, so don't panic if there's a slight delay in their records being updated. You're being very responsible by staying on top of this situation.

I'm very sorry for your loss. Having just gone through this with my own father last month, I can tell you that the confusion around this timing is completely normal and you're asking all the right questions. From my experience, the September payment you received was indeed for August (since Social Security pays in arrears), so that money rightfully belongs to your father-in-law's estate since he was alive for the entire month of August. You should be able to keep that payment without any issues. What I learned is that it's really important to get written confirmation from SSA that the death has been properly reported in their system. Even though the funeral home said they would handle it, I'd recommend calling SSA directly at 1-800-772-1213 to verify. When I called, they were able to immediately confirm the death notification was received and processed, which gave me huge peace of mind. Also, keep detailed records of everything - the date of death, when payments were received, and any communications with SSA. This documentation became very helpful when sorting out my father's estate. You're handling this very thoughtfully during what I know is an incredibly difficult time.

I'm so sorry for your loss. This is definitely one of those confusing administrative details that adds stress during an already difficult time. Based on what others have shared here, it sounds like you're in good shape with that September payment since Social Security pays in arrears - meaning that September deposit was actually for August when your father-in-law was alive the entire month. I'd recommend calling SSA at 1-800-772-1213 to confirm two things: 1) that the death notification has been properly processed in their system, and 2) which specific month that September payment was credited for. Getting this confirmation directly from them will give you peace of mind and proper documentation for the estate. Also, even though the funeral home said they'd handle the death notification, it's always good to verify this was actually completed. Sometimes there can be delays or miscommunications in that process. You're being very responsible by asking these questions upfront rather than waiting to see what happens. That proactive approach will save you potential headaches down the road.

I'm so sorry for your loss. This is definitely a stressful situation to navigate during an already difficult time, but you're absolutely doing the right thing by asking these questions upfront. From what I understand about Social Security timing, that September payment was most likely for August (since benefits are paid in arrears), which means your father-in-law was entitled to it since he was alive for the entire month of August. However, I'd strongly recommend calling SSA directly at 1-800-772-1213 to get definitive confirmation about which month that specific payment covers. When you call, also verify that the death notification has been properly processed in their system. Even though the funeral home said they'd handle it, it's worth confirming this was actually completed - sometimes there can be processing delays. Make sure to ask for a reference number for your call and keep detailed notes of what they tell you. This documentation will be helpful for estate records and your own peace of mind. You're handling this very thoughtfully by being proactive rather than just waiting to see what happens. That approach will definitely help avoid any potential complications down the road.