Guide
How to Notify Social Security of a Death (and What Happens to the Last Check)
Social Security is usually the first agency that must know about a death — and the one whose rules about the final month's benefit surprise the most families.
How the notification actually happens
Funeral homes report most deaths to SSA electronically as part of their standard process. The executor's job is verification: call 800-772-1213 or visit a field office — there is no online death-reporting path for individuals. [Verify.]
Benefits are not payable for the month of death: a check received in the month of death or later must be returned, and banks routinely reverse the direct deposit before you act.
What survivors may claim
A one-time $255 lump-sum death payment goes to an eligible surviving spouse or child — it must be claimed, typically within two years. Survivor benefits for spouses and dependents run on their own eligibility clock and are worth a same-week call.
Want it handled?
Estate EIN Filing does this for $99 — or follow the steps above yourself, free.
Straight answers
Can I just keep the last Social Security payment?
No — benefits aren't payable for the month of death. Return it; SSA reconciles this aggressively and the bank will usually reverse it anyway.
Is there a form for reporting a death to SSA?
For individuals it's a phone call or office visit, not a form. The funeral home files the official report (Form SSA-721) in most cases.