Survivor Benefits after parent's death - call SS office or visit in person?

I'm so sorry for your loss. You can actually start the process by calling the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213, but you'll need to provide original documents eventually. You'll need your father's death certificate, Social Security numbers for him and any potential survivors, birth certificates for dependent children, marriage certificate if there's a surviving spouse, and recent tax returns or W-2s. If minor children are involved, they may qualify for survivor benefits until age 18 (or 19 if still in high school).

When my mom died it was AWFUL dealing with SS!!! I tried calling for DAYS and couldn't get through to anyone. The website was confusing and when I finally got an appointment it was 3 weeks out!!! By then we were struggling to pay bills. They don't make it easy for grieving families AT ALL.

sorry about ur dad. my sister just went thru this. they wouldnt let her do it all by phone, had to go in for some stuff but she did start with the phone call

When my husband passed, I called SSA to report the death, but my call kept getting disconnected after waiting forever. I finally used this service called Claimyr that got me through to an agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU and their website is claimyr.com. Saved me hours of frustration when I was already emotionally drained.

One important thing nobody mentioned - you need to report the death to Social Security as soon as possible. They don't automatically know when someone dies, and if benefit payments continue after death, they'll demand that money back later. Also, some funeral homes will report the death to SSA as part of their services, but don't assume they did it - always verify. For minor children to get survivor benefits, the application MUST be completed by their legal guardian or representative payee.

I think theres a lump sum death payment too isnt there? Like $255 or something? Not much but every little bit helps when someone passes

Thanks everyone for the helpful information. I managed to get through to SSA yesterday and have an appointment set up for next week. They're sending me a checklist of documents to bring. The representative also confirmed my younger siblings (16 and 14) will likely qualify for benefits until they graduate high school. This has been really helpful during such a difficult time.

I'm really sorry for your loss, Melissa. I went through this same process when my dad passed two years ago. One thing I wish I had known earlier - if your father was receiving Social Security benefits, those payments will stop automatically once SSA is notified of his death, so don't worry about that part. Also, for your younger siblings, the survivor benefits can be quite substantial - they're typically 75% of your father's benefit amount each, which can really help your family financially. Make sure to ask about back-dating the benefits to the month of death when you go to your appointment. The whole process took about 6 weeks for us from application to first payment. Hang in there!