Surviving spouse's Social Security survivor benefits - possible elder financial abuse situation

I'm sorry about your loss and this difficult situation. Let me address your questions: 1. The SSA generally requires an original death certificate or a certified copy from the vital records office. Photocopies are not accepted for survivor benefits applications. 2. Your sister-in-law must be present for the application, and while someone can accompany her, they can't apply on her behalf without being an official representative payee (which requires separate application and approval). 3. This does sound concerning. You should contact Adult Protective Services in Arizona regarding potential elder financial abuse. Each county has its own office. Your sister-in-law should receive the higher of either her own benefit or about 100% of her husband's benefit as a survivor. If her husband received $2,500 and she only gets $1,350, she should receive close to $1,150 more monthly, not "just a few dollars."

I dealt with a similar situation with my mother after my father passed. Your sister-in-law can call SSA directly at 1-800-772-1213 to schedule an appointment for survivor benefits. Due to her health issues, she can request a telephone appointment instead of going in person. One option might be for your nephew to help her make this call when he's with her, before giving any death certificate to the daughter. The SSA can see death records electronically in many cases now, but having the certificate speeds things up. Also, I'd recommend your sister-in-law check if her bank accounts were joint with her husband. If so, she should consider removing the daughter from access until this is sorted out. When my dad passed, we learned my sister had been taking money for years. Adult Protective Services can help with this aspect too.

I went through this with my mom last year and it was a NIGHTMARE trying to get through to Social Security on the phone!!! We called for WEEKS and kept getting disconnected after hours on hold. The offices were only open for appointments and the earliest one was like 2 months out!!! By the time we got everything sorted out, my mom had missed almost 3 months of the higher payment amount. Is there a better way to contact them????

my mom went thru the same thing with my step dad and his kids. the SSA made her bring the death certificate for sure. but they didnt let anyone else talk for her even tho she has dementia. the kids tried to do exactly what ur saying, tellin her it was only a little bit more money. she ended up getting almost $900 more every month!!!! definitely call adult protective services in arizona

One thing nobody mentioned - if your sister-in-law was married to her husband for at least 10 years (sounds like she was), she's definitely entitled to the higher of either her own benefit or her deceased husband's full benefit. Not partial, FULL. The SSA people can confirm this when she applies. Since you mentioned they were married 50 years, she should absolutely qualify. She also gets a one-time death benefit of $255. Not much but it's something.

You mentioned your sister-in-law is "very sick" - have you considered helping her get appointed a representative payee who ISN'T the daughter? If she truly has health issues that affect her ability to manage finances, SSA can appoint someone (like your nephew perhaps) to receive the funds on her behalf. This requires documentation from her doctor about her inability to manage her benefits, but might be worth looking into if she's vulnerable to manipulation.

Another resource - many Area Agencies on Aging have benefit counselors who can help navigate this process and provide guidance on elder financial abuse. They often have specialists who understand both SSA benefits and elder protection. Here's a link to find the Arizona offices: https://des.az.gov/services/older-adults/area-agency-aging

Thank you all for the helpful advice! I've contacted Adult Protective Services and will be flying out next week to help my sister-in-law. My nephew is going to try to get her a phone appointment with SSA before I arrive. I'm relieved to know she should be getting the full survivor benefit amount. I'll update once we get this resolved.