If you’re the spouse, ex-spouse, child, or dependent parent of someone who worked and paid Social Security taxes before they died, you will receive a maximum of $225 as a Social Security death benefit amount. Survivors such as a spouse or child can apply for this payment within two years of the date of death.
$225 Social Security Death Benefit
The Social Security Administration (SSA) provides a one-time death benefit of $255 after the death of a Social Security beneficiary to their loved ones to cover the costs of funeral expenses. This payment is also known as lump-sum death payment.
This one-time payment can be paid to the surviving spouse of a deceased service member if they were living with the deceased person. If the partner lived apart from the person who passed away, but was receiving Social Security benefits on the deceased service member’s record will also get the death benefit amount.
If there is no surviving spouse, the death benefit payment will be provided to children who are eligible for benefits on the deceased’s record in the month of death. If no spouse or child fulfills the eligibility requirements of this program, the lump-sum death payment will not be paid.
Who is eligible for $225 Social Security death benefit?
To get the benefit amount from the social security death benefit individuals need to satisfy the below listed eligibility requirements.
- Interested individuals need to be the spouse, ex-spouse, child, or dependent parent of someone who worked and paid Social Security taxes before they died.
- Applicants must be a permanent resident or citizen of the United States.
- Individuals need to apply for the payment within two years of the date of death.
- If you are a Spouses and ex-spouses then you may be eligible if you:
- Are 60 or older years of age, and between age 50 to 59 if you have a disability.
- Were married at least nine months before your partner’s death.
- Didn’t remarry before age 60 or before the age of 50 if you have a disability.
- Ex-spouses who were married for at least 10 years, as well as some valid non-marital legal relationships, may also be eligible.
- Children of individual who died may be eligible if they are unmarried and are:
- Age 17 and younger.
- Ages 18 to19 and study in full time school.
- Any age if they have a disability at age 21 or younger.
How to apply for a $225 social security death benefit?
To apply for the Social Security Lump Sum Death Payment (LSDP) of $255, you need to follow the below listed steps:
- Check the eligibility requirements for $225 social security death benefit.
- To apply, call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). You can also apply in person by visiting your local Social Security office.
- After calling the Social Security Administration or visiting the local Social Security office you need to provide all the details such as your name, your relation with deceased worker, deceased worker’s name, gender, date of birth, SSN, death date, death place, etc.
- Tell them the he names, dates of birth (or age) and Social Security numbers of any of the deceased worker’s x-spouses and the dates of the marriages and how and when they ended their relationship, names of any of the deceased worker’s unmarried children under age 18, the deceased worker’s earnings in the year of death and the preceding year, etc.
- Provide all the required documents such as deceased worker’s birth and death certificates, Proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful alien status if you were not born in the United States, U.S. military discharge papers if the deceased had military service before 1968, W-2 forms or self-employment tax returns for the last year.
- Enter details about the selected payout receiving method such as your bank name, address, account number, account holder name, mailing address, etc.
- After verifying all your provided details, ask them to submit your application.
When will you get a $225 social security death benefit amount?
After providing your details and documents, officials will review your application for social security death benefit. The processing time for the Social Security Lump Sum Death Payment (LSDP) can vary but usually, it takes about a few weeks to months from the date of application for the benefit to be processed and paid out.
However, this timeline can be affected by several factors such as the completeness of required details, the promptness of document submission and the payout receiving method that an individual chooses while submitting an application to officials.
If you selected a paper check payout receiving method then you may face unexpected delays in getting your death benefit payment. If you applied with valid and accurate details and are facing delays, it is advised to you to contact the Social Security Administration directly for an update on your application status.
Can you check the status of your $225 social security death benefit?
To check the status of your $225 social security death benefit you need to follow the below listed instructions.
- Navigate to the https://www.ssa.gov/apply website.
- Create or sign in your personal mySocial Security account by entering all the required details.
- After logging in, you need to provide required details.
- Hit the check status button to view the current status of your social security death benefit.
You can also check the status of your social security death benefit amount by calling the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). Officials will provide services from Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.