- 1). Call the Social Security Administration at 800-772-1213 to inform them of your spouse's death as soon as possible. You will need to also schedule an appointment at your local office to complete the paperwork.
- 2). Gather the necessary information about you and your deceased spouse before your appointment. The needed documents are Social Security numbers, your birth certificate, death certificate of your spouse and marriage license. You may need to provide additional information, as instructed by the Social Security Administration, such as military discharge documents, naturalization papers, children's birth certificates (if applicable), divorce papers (if applicable), etc.
- 3). Request your Death Benefit and Survivors benefits. The Death Benefit is a one-time lump sum of $255. The Survivors benefits have several income benefits available based on qualifications, such as a spouse who is age 60 or older, a spouse 50 or older who is disabled, a spouse caring for dependent children and underage children of the deceased. Your local Social Security office will inform you which benefit you qualify for.
- 4). Bring your checkbook. Once the Social Security Administration decides you are eligible for Survivors benefits, you can have your benefits directly deposited into your checking or savings account.
previous post