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Oregongirl Asked July 2015

When does the social security check stop: month after death or month of the death?

Can someone clear this up for me?

zam250 Jan 2018
Search the SS website ssa.gov . There should be information explaining how the checks work upon the death of the recipient. You could also be eligible to get any money that may be still due to him.
I'm sorry for your loss, lonelyheart.

lonelyperson Jan 2018
my husband was very alive in june , he got his s.s on july 3 for the june payment he died on on the 30 of july...my question is if the july payment was for june why did s.s take away the payment at his death date on the 30th if in fact the july payment was for june?

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freqflyer Jul 2017
If a spouse passes and that spouse had the higher of the two Social Security benefits, then the remaining spouse can contact Social Security to swap out her/his Social Security for that of the late spouse.

Oregongirl, that is an urban legend that Congress receives a high level of Social Security .  Public Law #98-21 required Social Security coverage for all Federal employees, including the Members of Congress who had entered the Federal service after 1983 [almost 35 years ago]. They are also subject to the same benefit eligibility and payment formulas as other Social Security beneficiaries.

There is also another urban legend that Members of Congress received their full pay each year after they retired. If a Member of Congress retires, resigns, or is not re-elected, they no longer receive a salary. However, they do receive a retirement annuity like any other Federal employee. Annuities are calculated by a formula. Example, if a Member of Congress who retires at 50 with 20 years of service, he/she will received 42.5% of a salary from a Civil Service Retirement System.  Out of the 535 members of Congress only around 75+ members have 20 years or more.

vegaslady Jul 2017
Oregongirl, pretty cranky response from you. Sorry about your loss but you make silly comments about how you are treated differently than others. What's your basis for that comment? Also, doctors don't take SS they take the medical insurance they choose to do business with. Maybe you meant Medicare. Maybe the office person felt that Medicare is a type of welfare, although that description is usually applied to Medicaid.

Oregongirl Jul 2017
Month of death. My husband died at end of month but I had to send entire check back. I needed every penny. We the People do not have the same benefits as our leaders in Washington. They would be allowed time away from work and payment monthly. It is horrible when the wife is living on limited income, looses her husband's ss benefit and has to send a check back. WOW On top of all this I talked with a new doctors office this past week. They do not take SS even when I have supplimental coverage. The girl at the front desk said it was the same as welfare. I was furious and told her so.


DWoodson825 Jul 2017
Hi guys My mom just recently pass on July 16. She received a check on July 26. Do i have to send that check back to SSA?

Jim695 Apr 2017
I realize this is an old thread, but I need to ring in here. First, SS FORCED me to become my mother's "representative payee." They refused to give or receive ANY information from me about Mom without the RP form. Mom died on February 28, 2017 at 6:55 pm and, since I had already used the money to pay the nursing home for Feb, they're taking MY benefits to pay back the month of Feb, because "we don't pay for the month of death." I tried to use the "It's not my fault and would cause financial hardship" argument, but they told me to forget it, that it "won't fly." The woman told me, "You're the representative payee, Sir; you're responsible for that money!" I told her I don't have $933, and she said, "That's okay, Sir - we'll just stop your benefits until the money is paid back." Great. That makes me feel so much better. Then she said this, which was infuriating: "You can fight it if you want to, Sir, but a lawyer will cost you a lot more than $933." Turns out she was right. The attorneys I spoke with told me I should take the hit and move on. Great advice, but how do I pay my own bills in the meantime? I'm a disabled vet living on a very meager fixed income, so I have to be very careful with what little money I have. Oh, that's the other thing: just to rub a little salt into the wound, she did make a point of "thanking me for my service," but I think she was mocking me, given her snotty tone. Is anyone still out there reading this thread? Is there anything I can do to defend my own benefits?

Oregongirl Aug 2015
Remember Funeral home reports immed to SS

beenthere60 Aug 2015
Let's put it in plain English.....Social Security payments lag one month. In other words, when a check is received in August, no matter when in August, it is for JULY. If someone passes in August, a check is still received in August because it is for JULY. Then, no matter what day of the month in August that person passed, no check will be received in September because the September check would have been for August because the person passed in August. I tried to state it clearly but I have a tendency to be wordy so I hope this helps.

desert192 Aug 2015
SS checks are paid a month behind. i.e. July check is benefit for the month of June. if person dies in June - no check would be payable for July (Usually the funeral home will notify Social for you (CA). If person died close to end of month - there might not be enough time for Social to correct their records and the check would have to be returned.

lori63 Aug 2015
What about the child that has had parent living with them and is the caregiver the spouse is deceased

cetude Aug 2015
All I can say is you BETTER report the death as soon as it happens because believe me they will want it back.

JoAnn29 Aug 2015
When a spouse dies, the surviving spouse gets the biggest amount of the two checks with the lowest check being dropped. You do not get both checks. My husband gets 1500 I get $800. If he goes first I get his 1500 and my $800 drops. If other way around, my husband continues with his and mine drops. Believe me, if SS feels they have paid too much, they will get it back.

Jocelyne Aug 2015
Okay... . sooooo, I should always keep the SS amount most recently sent in case mom dies this month. No.... wait, I see, because the check I received in August is for July... and she lived through July... we're safe. And we will always be safe for the past month she lived. It's actually safer this way, I don't have to worry about NOT spending the check should she die this month. IF I have this right.

susanq1956 Aug 2015
My father's death was June 5th & he didnt receive his payment in July, but geewiz explained that. I'm having to set up an appt with the local SS office to try to get my father's check transferred into my mothers name. The representative alluded to the fact that she may or may not get his full amount. She is incapacitated so I'm hoping she will. Please make sure any of you going through this calls them first! There is necessary paperwork they are requiring for me to bring. Nothing is ever easy!

sooz55 Aug 2015
My mom recveived her soc sec check on or about the 1st of every month. She died on the 12th. I did not have to pay anything back to Soc Security but I didn't get another check (I called them 1st thing).

Oregongirl Aug 2015
Month of death. My Partner died the last week of July and they cancelled the July check. Seems awful doesn't it? The government could care less if you need the funds.. The funeral home gave me this information. And, unless you are a child of the deceased or the wife, you will not get the death benefit either. In my case I am the Trustee of the estate, and still cannot get his death benefit to help with costs of burial

vstefans Aug 2015
I think they take the whole check back for the month the person passes on. It can be unfair, to say the least.

JoAnn29 Aug 2015
Best thing, call SS. I think it depends on what time of the month a person dies.

ramiller Aug 2015
Newyorker, what does your comment have to do with this thread? Perhaps you should start a new thread.

ramiller Aug 2015
Sally, the wife as surviving spouse can get the husbands ss if it was higher. Also the month a person passes any ss they received that month has to be returned. Ss will do so automatically by debiting the account it was deposited into so do not close that account until that debit has taken place.

Llamalover47 Aug 2015
Oregongirl: I believe it stops the month after the indivudual deceases, e.g.they decease on January 24, the February SS payment does not come. But best to check with SSA.

Sally734 Aug 2015
If both husband and wife are receiving SS checks, when a spouse dies, does the surviving spouse receive the higher of the two checks or retains the one always received.

Marialake Aug 2015
My FIL died Oct 30 2013 and his check (which was received early Oct) was sent back to SS. Seems like a conflict if the Oct check would have been for Sept. Just wondering

Newyorker Aug 2015
Does anyone else have problems with New York states Managed Long Term Care program? For me, the caregivers (occupiers of my chairs while they talk or text on their phones). are causing me so much stress that I am not sure how much longer I can take it. And they tend to nap when I leave. Wbhat have we come to?

JessieBelle Aug 2015
BTW, it mentioned that it is sometimes them making the mistake and sometimes it is the bank that makes the mistake. The financial institution can initiate the return of money after learning of someone's death.

JessieBelle Aug 2015
It could be that someone goofed. I just read on the SS site that this can sometimes happen if the death occurs before payment is issued. You may want to follow up, Pam, and see if there was some human error involved. It was good of the SSA to admit that sometimes mistakes are made.

pamstegma Aug 2015
Our daughter died June 8, the check was direct deposited June 11 and SS reversed the transaction on the 12th, leaving the account overdrawn even though the bank had frozen the account. Go figure.

JoAnn29 Aug 2015
See, I don't understand this when the July check is for June.

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