Who can collect Social Security $255 death benefit when there's no spouse or dependent children?

Unfortunately, they're correct. The $255 death benefit can ONLY be paid to a surviving spouse who was living with the deceased or to a spouse/child eligible for survivor benefits on the deceased's record. If there's no eligible spouse or child, the payment isn't made at all - not to the estate or anyone else. This has been the rule for decades, not a recent change. Sorry for your loss.

the $255 hasnt changed since like the 1950s i think... crazy how small it is now with inflation. my mom got it when dad died last year but she had to go in person to apply, they wouldnt let her do it over phone

So sorry about your dad. Just went through this with my mom. The death benefit is truly a relic from another era. $255 barely covers the death certificates these days.

I've been dealing with my mother's estate for 4 months now and the whole system is INFURIATING!!! Not only is the death benefit basically nothing, but trying to notify SSA about her passing took WEEKS of calling. They kept disconnecting me after 2+ hour waits!! SSA needs to be completely overhauled for the digital age. Why can't we handle these matters online?!?

The $255 death benefit has been limited to spouses and dependent children since 1996. Before that, it could sometimes go to funeral homes if the funeral expenses were paid from the deceased's funds. But it has NEVER gone directly to the estate. If your father had no spouse or dependent children, you're correct that no one can claim it. The payment simply isn't made. As executor, you should still notify SSA promptly about his death to stop any future payments. You might also check if anyone qualifies for survivor benefits based on his record.

I tried for weeks to reach SSA when my husband died and kept getting busy signals or disconnected. I finally used Claimyr.com to get through - they basically wait on hold for you and call you once they have an agent on the line. Saved me hours of frustration! They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU if you're interested. Made the whole process much less stressful during an already difficult time.

I'm sorry for your loss. As others have mentioned, the $255 death benefit is only available to a surviving spouse living with the deceased or eligible for benefits, or to a child eligible for benefits on the deceased's record. As executor, here's what you should focus on: 1. Report the death to SSA (required) 2. Return any payments received after death (including partial month of death) 3. Check if your father was receiving SSI, as there may be different rules 4. Gather his death certificate, your executor documents, and his SS number when you do reach SSA For most people, funeral homes report the death, but you should verify this happened.

Does anyone know if they'll stop payments automatically once the funeral home reports the death? My uncle passed last week and we're worried about the overpayment issue too.

Update: I finally got through to SSA yesterday. They confirmed what everyone here said - the $255 death benefit isn't available if there's no surviving spouse or dependent child. They also told me they already had record of my dad's death from the funeral home's report, so that's one less thing to worry about. The representative helped me verify that his final payment will be returned automatically by the bank. Thanks everyone for your help and advice during this difficult time.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Isabella. I went through something very similar when my grandmother passed last year. It's frustrating how outdated the system feels - that $255 hasn't been adjusted since 1954! When you factor in inflation, it would need to be over $2,800 today to have the same purchasing power. It's honestly more of a symbolic gesture at this point rather than meaningful help with funeral expenses. The whole process of dealing with government agencies while grieving is just exhausting. Glad you finally got through and got everything sorted out.