You are right on, Hugemom. I swear SS knew my mom passed away before I did - and I knew within a few minutes.
I didn’t even need to notify SS. I had planned to but then saw the direct deposit taken back out within a couple of days. And then - a few days later received their letter. I’m not sure who notified SS - it was either the NH or hospice. Oh well - one less thing I had to do.
I agree with everyone saying not to assume the SS is gonna be a keeper until they receive written confirmation one way or another. After SS is notified of the passing, they should be sending a letter confirming payment as they will or will not go forward if there is a spouse - as well as the date of the final payment if there is not.
I agree with Countymouse. Because you’re dealing with the Government, don’t do anything until you call Social Security. Get the name of the person you are speaking with and take notes on what they tell you. I’ve never seen the Government move as fast as they did when my mom passed last November to snatch her benefits back.
Carla, yes, the wife would get a share of the husband's SS (1/2, I think). But keeping him alive until the 1st of the next month guaranteed that she got the full SS amount for that month instead of the smaller survivor's amount she gets now.
When my Dad died on Sept 26th....Social Security took back the direct deposit they made on Sept 4.
I never questioned it.
Well, that was more than a year ago...the beneficiary of that deposit would have been my Mom, and she died this past June. No point to trying to revive this now.
But to get back on topic, the check received on the 3rd is for the previous month. If the person died on the 2nd of the month the check is received, the check is still payable since he/she lived the whole prior month.
CTTN55 - prorating would be a good idea. Making the wife pay the hospital bill out of pocket once the hospital says it's time to pull the plug.
That said, the wife in most cases would be eligible for a share of her husband's SS, if they were married at least 10 years. My mother got my father's, and they'd been divorced for many years when he died.
A few months ago I sat vigil with my mother's friend, while she waited for her husband to die. The hospital wanted to pull the plug, but my mother's friend wanted to wait until the first of the next month so that she would get his full Security Security check. (She wouldn't get any SS on her own, because she didn't have enough qualifying quarters.) So he was on life support for an extra four days, and was disconnected from it on the 1st of the next month. Someone (taxpayers) paid for those extra days in the ICU so that this woman could collect some more $. Crazy. SS should be prorated.
Donna, if it were me I'd call them and double-check, just to have peace of mind. But make them repeat the relevant dates back to you to make sure they're concentrating :)
I'm sorry for your family's loss, I know how heart-sinking it is having to handle this stuff when you're already at a real low.
So, using the dates given- the check receive on November 3rd is for the month of October.
As the person was alive for the entire month of October- as stated here - the SS payment can be kept.
They can be very ridged in requiring the full month of life. My mother passed August 30th - a month with 31 days - so SS took back the direct deposit payment that posted on September 1st.
I tend to think that since several months have only 30 days that the 30th ought to be an across the board date. Passing away on the 30th in a month of 30 days vs. a month with 31 days is kinda a “luck of the draw” thing - in my opinion.
Unfortunately, SS does not share my view.
Hope I didn’t confuse things with my rant! But bottom line - if a person lives through an entire month - all the way through - they keep the SS payment received in the first couple days the following month.
I do have to chuckle a bit. My mother was a hard-core penny pincher. If she had realized that hanging on one more day meant being able to keep her SS payment - I do believe she would have done her damnest to hang on one more day!
From the Social security website -https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10077.pdf If a beneficiary dies --- Let us know if a person receiving Social Security benefits dies. We can’t pay benefits for the month of death. That means if the person died in July, the check received in August (which is payment for July) must be returned. If the payment is by direct deposit, notify the financial institution as soon as possible so it can return any payments received after death.
I didn’t even need to notify SS. I had planned to but then saw the direct deposit taken back out within a couple of days. And then - a few days later received their letter. I’m not sure who notified SS - it was either the NH or hospice. Oh well - one less thing I had to do.
I agree with everyone saying not to assume the SS is gonna be a keeper until they receive written confirmation one way or another. After SS is notified of the passing, they should be sending a letter confirming payment as they will or will not go forward if there is a spouse - as well as the date of the final payment if there is not.
I never questioned it.
Well, that was more than a year ago...the beneficiary of that deposit would have been my Mom, and she died this past June. No point to trying to revive this now.
That said, the wife in most cases would be eligible for a share of her husband's SS, if they were married at least 10 years. My mother got my father's, and they'd been divorced for many years when he died.
So he was on life support for an extra four days, and was disconnected from it on the 1st of the next month. Someone (taxpayers) paid for those extra days in the ICU so that this woman could collect some more $. Crazy. SS should be prorated.
I suppose it's all tax-payers' money, though.
Donna, if it were me I'd call them and double-check, just to have peace of mind. But make them repeat the relevant dates back to you to make sure they're concentrating :)
I'm sorry for your family's loss, I know how heart-sinking it is having to handle this stuff when you're already at a real low.
Social Security pays a month behind.
So, using the dates given- the check receive on November 3rd is for the month of October.
As the person was alive for the entire month of October- as stated here - the SS payment can be kept.
They can be very ridged in requiring the full month of life. My mother passed August 30th - a month with 31 days - so SS took back the direct deposit payment that posted on September 1st.
I tend to think that since several months have only 30 days that the 30th ought to be an across the board date. Passing away on the 30th in a month of 30 days vs. a month with 31 days is kinda a “luck of the draw” thing - in my opinion.
Unfortunately, SS does not share my view.
Hope I didn’t confuse things with my rant! But bottom line - if a person lives through an entire month - all the way through - they keep the SS payment received in the first couple days the following month.
I do have to chuckle a bit. My mother was a hard-core penny pincher. If she had realized that hanging on one more day meant being able to keep her SS payment - I do believe she would have done her damnest to hang on one more day!
If a beneficiary dies ---
Let us know if a person receiving Social Security benefits
dies. We can’t pay benefits for the month of death. That
means if the person died in July, the check received in
August (which is payment for July) must be returned.
If the payment is by direct deposit, notify the financial
institution as soon as possible so it can return any
payments received after death.