When someone reaches retirement age, Social Security benefits support them for the rest of their life.
But what happens when the recipient dies? Does Social Security cover death benefits?
The simple answer is yes. If the person receiving benefits dies, family members will receive another form of monetary compensation on top of the monthly benefits.
This is what we refer to as a death benefit and is paid by the Social Security Administration (SSA) as long as specific criteria are met.
Read on to learn about death benefits.
What Are Death Benefits?
Death benefits are one-off payments made by the SSA after the death of retirees receiving benefits. A $255 lump-sum transaction is paid as a death benefit payment to the deceased’s family members.
The surviving spouse can only collect these payments if certain crucial conditions are satisfied. If the spouse was the worker’s roommate at the time of their passing, they are eligible to receive payment.
A spouse can be entitled to death benefits if they are already getting benefits based on the worker’s work history or qualified for benefits after the worker passes away.
Children of retirees can collect their death benefits if there’s no surviving spouse. For a child or children to collect this payment, they must have previously been receiving benefits on their parent’s behalf or must have become eligible after their parent’s death.
What if the family has already been receiving benefits on behalf of the worker? In that case, they automatically receive the lump sum once the SSA receives proof of the worker’s death.
If nobody is named as a beneficiary to the policy, an eligible spouse or child may apply for the death benefit within two years after the worker’s death. If they don’t send the application, the death benefit will expire and not be paid.
How to Apply to Receive Survivor’s Benefits
The lump sum death benefit is not substantial in the long run. If you previously relied on the deceased person’s benefits for financial assistance, survivor benefits may be able to give you more financial security in the long term after they die.
For family members to qualify for these payments, the deceased worker must have worked and accrued enough credits. The number of work credits needed varies based on the years the person worked and the age of death.
For a spouse to be eligible for these payments, their marriage must have lasted at least nine months before the worker’s death, or they have a child together.
Likewise, spouses may be eligible if the death resulted from an accident or happened while serving in the military. These benefits are usually unavailable until the spouse hits 60 years or if they have a child (under 16) under their care.
If there’s a young child, the survivor benefits will be available until the child turns 16. But afterward, the payments will be discontinued until the spouse turns 60, at which point they will once again be eligible.
Bottom Line
So, does Social Security cover death benefits? Yes, it does. You can file for death benefits if your loved one collecting Social Security benefits dies.
However, losing a spouse or parent can take a toll on you, especially if they were the family’s breadwinners. You might find it difficult to pursue death benefits while still mourning.
But you can do this with the help of a disability attorney. Let Legal Giant link you with a skilled disability lawyer near you.
Contact us at (833) 641-1650 for a free consultation today.
