Social Security withheld my deceased husband's last benefit payment - can his estate claim it?

Yes, your husband's estate is absolutely entitled to his March payment. Social Security benefits are paid in the month following the month they are due for, so the March payment received in April was legitimately his since he was alive the entire month of March. Unfortunately, SSA's underpayment claims for deceased beneficiaries can take 4-6 months to process. They have to verify the person filing is the proper payee (executor/administrator) and that all documentation is in order. The fact that they confirmed it's in queue is actually good news - it means they have your claim and it's in process.

when my dad died last year they took back his last payment too. i think its standard procedure for them to pull back any recent deposits when someone dies and then sort it out later. took us like 5 months to get it back to his estate so your timeline sounds normal tbh

THEY DID THE SAME THING TO ME when my wife died!!! Took back her last check even though she was alive most of that month! I had to fight with them for 6 MONTHS to get it back. The whole system is designed to frustrate you into giving up. Keep calling them EVERY WEEK until they pay what they owe!!

I'm going through almost the exact same situation with my mom's benefits! She passed in May, and they pulled back her April payment that came on May 3rd. We filed the estate claim in June and still waiting too. One thing I learned - make sure you submitted the correct form. For underpayments to an estate, you need the SSA-1724 form specifically. If you submitted something else, that might be causing the delay. Also, did you include the letters testamentary or other proof that you're the executor? They won't process without that.

I've had success using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to actually reach someone at Social Security when dealing with my father's estate issues. They got me through to a real person in under 20 minutes when I had been trying for weeks on my own. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU For estate issues like this, speaking with someone directly can often help identify if there's a specific hold-up or missing document that's causing the delay. Much better than just waiting indefinitely.

my condolences for your loss. this happened to my neighbor and they eventually got the money back but it took forever. something about how they have to verify everything twice for estates. have you tried calling the national number? sometimes they can see more info than the local office people

To clarify the rules here: 1. Social Security benefits are paid in arrears (the payment for March comes in April) 2. A beneficiary must be alive for the ENTIRE month to be entitled to that month's payment 3. Since your husband was alive all of March, his estate is entitled to the March payment 4. The proper form for estate underpayments is SSA-1724 5. Processing time for underpayments to estates typically takes 4-6 months One thing to check: did SSA actually receive the funds back from the bank? Sometimes there's a delay if the bank hasn't returned the reclaimed funds to SSA yet. The claim won't process until they've confirmed the funds are back in their system. It sounds like you've done everything correctly. At this point, I would suggest calling the national number (1-800-772-1213) and specifically asking if there are any notes about why the claim is delayed or if there are any issues with the documentation.

Sorry I'm a bit confused... So the check for March (received in April) should go to the estate, but the check for April won't be paid at all because he died during April? Is that correct? Just trying to understand how this all works for when I need to deal with this someday.

Update us when you finally get this resolved! These bureaucrats need to be held accountable for making grieving families jump through hoops for money they're owed!!!

I'm sorry for your loss. This is unfortunately a common issue that many families face. The good news is that you're absolutely entitled to that March payment since your husband was alive for the entire month. A few suggestions that might help speed things up: 1. Try calling SSA early in the morning (8am EST) when wait times are typically shorter 2. When you do get through, ask specifically if there are any "alerts" or holds on the claim 3. Request a supervisor if the first representative can't give you detailed information 4. Ask for a case number or tracking number for your underpayment claim if you don't already have one I went through something similar with my father's estate last year. What finally got movement was when I called and discovered they needed an additional form that nobody had mentioned. Sometimes there's a missing piece of documentation that's not obvious. The 4-6 month timeline others mentioned is accurate, but don't be afraid to advocate for yourself. You've already waited longer than most cases should take.

I'm sorry for your loss and the frustration you're experiencing with this process. As someone who has helped several clients navigate estate issues with SSA, I can confirm that your husband's estate is absolutely entitled to that March payment since he lived through the entire month. The 4-6 month processing time is unfortunately standard for estate underpayment claims, but given that you're now past that timeframe, I'd recommend taking a more proactive approach. When you call SSA (try 1-800-772-1213 around 8 AM when wait times are shorter), specifically ask these questions: 1. What is the current status of claim SSA-1724 filed for [husband's name/SSN]? 2. Are there any alerts, holds, or missing documents preventing processing? 3. Has SSA confirmed receipt of the returned funds from the bank? 4. Can you provide a case tracking number for this underpayment claim? Sometimes these claims get stuck because of a technical issue or missing piece of documentation that wasn't clearly communicated. Don't hesitate to ask for a supervisor if the first representative can't give you specific information about why there's a delay beyond the normal processing time. You've done everything correctly - now it's just about getting someone at SSA to tell you exactly what's holding things up.

I'm so sorry for your loss and the additional stress this bureaucratic delay is causing during an already difficult time. You're absolutely right to pursue this - your husband's estate is entitled to that March payment since he was alive for the entire month. One thing that might help is documenting everything in writing. When you call SSA (definitely try the early morning approach others suggested), take detailed notes including the representative's name, date/time of call, and exactly what they tell you. If they give you any conflicting information or can't explain the delay, ask them to note your call in the system and request a written response. Also, if calling continues to be unproductive, you might consider contacting your Congressman's office. They have staff specifically trained to help constituents with federal agency issues like this. They can often get responses from SSA much faster than individuals can. Most congressional offices have a form on their website for constituent services. The fact that you're approaching 6 months with no resolution suggests there may be a specific issue that needs to be addressed rather than just normal processing delays. Don't let them keep telling you it's "in queue" without specifics about what's causing the holdup.

I'm really sorry for your loss and understand how frustrating this delay must be on top of everything else you're dealing with. Based on what you've described, your husband's estate is definitely entitled to that March payment since he lived through the entire month. As a newcomer to this community, I've been reading through similar situations and it seems like the 4-6 month timeline is unfortunately normal, but you're now past that point. One thing I noticed from other posts is that sometimes these claims get stuck due to technical issues that aren't immediately obvious. Have you tried asking SSA specifically whether they've received confirmation that the funds were actually returned from the bank? Sometimes there can be a delay between when you see the withdrawal from your husband's account and when SSA's system shows they've received the money back. The claim processing apparently can't move forward until their system confirms the funds are in their possession. Also, when you filed the SSA-1724, did you receive any kind of receipt or confirmation number? That might help when you call to track the specific status. Keep pushing for answers - you shouldn't have to wait indefinitely for money that rightfully belongs to the estate.

I'm so sorry for your loss and the frustration you're experiencing with this delay. As a newcomer here, I've been reading through these discussions and it's clear that estate underpayment claims like yours are unfortunately common and often take longer than they should. From what everyone has shared, it sounds like you've done everything correctly - filing the SSA-1724 with proper documentation showing you're the executor. The fact that you're now approaching 6 months definitely warrants more aggressive follow-up. I'd suggest combining several of the strategies mentioned here: call early morning using those specific questions about alerts/holds and fund confirmation status, document everything in writing, and don't hesitate to escalate to a supervisor or even your congressional office if you continue getting vague responses. Your husband's estate is absolutely entitled to that March payment since he lived the entire month, and at this point the delay seems unreasonable. Keep advocating for yourself - you shouldn't have to wait indefinitely for money that rightfully belongs to the estate.

I'm so sorry for your loss and the additional stress this bureaucratic delay is causing you during an already difficult time. As a newcomer to this community, I've been reading through everyone's helpful advice and wanted to add a few thoughts. You're absolutely right to pursue this - your husband's estate is entitled to that March payment since he was alive for the entire month. The fact that you're now at 6+ months is definitely beyond the normal 4-6 month processing time everyone mentions. Based on what I've read here, I'd suggest trying a multi-pronged approach: First, call early morning (8am) with those specific questions others outlined about alerts, holds, and fund confirmation status. Second, if that doesn't yield results, definitely consider reaching out to your congressional representative's office - they can often cut through bureaucratic delays much faster than individual calls. One thing I noticed from similar posts is that sometimes these claims get stuck on technical issues that aren't communicated clearly. The suggestion about confirming SSA actually received the returned funds is particularly important since there can be delays between when you see the bank withdrawal and when their system registers it. Keep detailed notes of every interaction and don't accept vague "it's in queue" responses. You deserve specific answers about what's preventing this from moving forward. Hang in there - you're advocating for something the estate is rightfully owed.