Reporting a death to the social security administration

Upon the death of a loved one, there's always a lot on your mind. Unfortunately, part of that process involves technicalities that go beyond grieving and focus on paperwork.

While this time is often stressful and upsetting, there are tasks that you must complete in a timely manner. One of those is notifying the Social Security Administration (SSA) of the passing of your loved one.

Who to Notify After a Death

When your loved one passes away, it's crucial you notify some key parties within the first few days. This list may include employers, health care providers, lawyers and financial institutions — anywhere that your loved one might have had insurance policies and accounts — as well as the SSA.

Typically, your funeral home can help. Many funeral directors will offer to fill out the proper forms and notify SSA of the death as part of their services; all you need to do is provide your loved one's Social Security number.

However, ultimately, it is up to you to ensure this happens. Note that you can't report a death online, but you can contact your local SSA Office or call 1-800-772-1213 to speak with a representative from the office who can help.

If the death isn't reported, any payments collected from the SSA for the month your loved one passed or later must be paid back to the government. Otherwise, keeping these payments is considered fraudulent.

Social Security death benefits

If your loved one was collecting benefits from the SSA, you as a surviving spouse or child, may be eligible for a Social Security death benefit.

The benefit is a smaller percentage of the monthly benefit your loved one was collecting. It's calculated depending on how many years your loved one worked, his or her average income, and his or her age at death, among other factors.

Social Security death benefits may be collected by the surviving unmarried widow or widower, older disabled children, minor children or dependent parents. In some instances, surviving divorced spouses, step-children, step-grandchildren and grandchildren may be eligible.

The SSA offers two types of benefits to eligible survivors, a one-time lump sum payment and an ongoing monthly payment called a survivor benefit.

Here's more on each of these options:

• Social Security death benefits for children — An unmarried child who is under 18, or 18 if he or she is still in secondary school as a full-time student, or over 18 if he or she became disabled before the age of 22, can qualify for a death benefit.

• Social Security spousal death benefits — A current spouse, married for at least nine months, and is at least age 60, as well as former spouses married at least 10 years, age 62 or over and not remarried can qualify for a death benefit. It's possible that former spouses who did remarry but then divorced again can qualify, as well.

• Lump sum benefit — The spouse who was living in the same home at the time of death qualifies for a one-time lump sum death benefit of $255. If there is no spouse, then that payment can go to a surviving dependent minor child, usually under the age of 18.

Starting the life insurance claims process with Protective

After the passing of your loved one, Protective customers can begin the death claims process with Protective. We're here to help you every step of the way.

Simply click this link to begin the process. Once Protective is notified of the death of your loved one, the claims process begins. From there, Protective will contact you and help guide you through the next steps of the process.

The passing of a loved one is never easy, but the more you can learn about the reporting process now the better off you'll be when the time comes.

To learn more about the claims process or get guidance on common questions, you can read these Frequently Asked Questions.

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When a close friend or family member dies, there are a lot of things you have to deal with — funeral planning, dealing with the person’s estate and, of course, managing your own grief. One important task you may not think of right away is to notify the Social Security Administration of their death. One of your questions may be how to report a death to Social Security. Follow these steps to report the death of a loved one. For help navigating this process, consider working with a financial advisor.

Step One: Contact the Social Security Administration

Talk to the funeral director who oversees the arrangements for your loved one. It is often the case that the funeral director’s services include contacting Social Security as part of their contract. If so, then be sure they have all the pertinent information about your loved one like name, Social Security number and date of birth. The funeral director will also need the contact information for the deceased’s spouse. The funeral director will need to complete Form SSA-721.

If the funeral director does not report the death, you need to know how to report a death to Social Security. You must either visit your nearest Social Security office or call the Social Security Administration. You can’t make the report online. The Social Security Administration is open from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. regardless of your time zone. Since the customary practice is for the funeral director to report a death, make sure they have the Form SSA-721. If you must report the death, call the Social Security Administration and they will advise you what documents they need for you to bring to them.

Step Two: Send the Social Security Administration a Copy of the Death Certificate

It often takes some time to receive the decedent’s death certificate from your state authorities. You can still call in the death and then complete the process by forwarding the death certificate to Social Security when you receive it. However, the funeral director will very possibly handle this for you along with reporting the death.

Step Three: Send Back Any Checks Received After Death Except for the Death Benefit

If your loved one received Social Security benefits of any kind, don’t keep any benefit checks received after their death. For example, if the decedent dies in March and then receives an April Social Security check, send it back to the Social Security Administration. Send the checks back intact. Do not cash them. If they have direct deposit, talk to the bank and arrange for those funds to be returned to the Social Security Administration until they have time to process the death of the recipient. They must not only receive your phone call reporting the death, but also the death certificate before the death can be processed.

After the death is processed, the surviving spouse will receive a death benefit check for $255. If there is no surviving spouse, but there are surviving children who are eligible to receive benefits on the decedent’s record during the month in which they died, they may receive the death benefit.

Who Gets Social Security Benefits Off the Decedent’s Record?

If your loved one has worked long enough to be a part of the Social Security system, some survivors may be eligible for survivor’s benefits. They are:

• A widow or widower after they reach age 60 or age 50 if disabled
• A surviving divorced spouse, under certain circumstances
• A widow or widower at any age who is caring for the decedent’s child under the age of 16 or if a child is disabled and receiving children’s benefits
• A child of the decedent who is unmarried and has been disabledsince before the age 22.
• A child of the decedent who is younger than age 18
• A child of the decedent who is younger than age 19 and a full-time student in an elementary or secondary school
• A grandchild, stepchild, step-grandchild or adopted child, under certain circumstances
•  Parents, age 62 or older, dependent upon the deceased person for more than half their income

Check with the Social Security Administration before you make any assumptions about who receives benefits after a loved one dies since there are certain circumstances attached to many of these beneficiaries. Even though you cannot report a death online, you can apply for benefits online. If the deceased has not yet received Social Security benefits, the appropriate course of action is to go online and apply at the Social Security website after the death has been recorded.

The Bottom Line

If a loved one has died, the death must be recorded by the Social Security Administration through reporting by either the funeral director or you. Neither the death benefit or any survivor’s benefits can be paid until reporting is done and the death certificate is submitted. This procedure should help make the process a little easier.

Social Security Tips

• A financial advisor can help you understand your Social Security situation. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
• If you want to calculate your Social Security benefits, use SmartAsset’s Social Security calculator.

Photo Credit: ©iStock.com/Bill Oxford, ©iStock.com/mphillips007, ©iStock.com/PeopleImages

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