Social Security $$

[tvguy]

The LSDP of $255.00 is easily misunderstood by many-- even the individuals that work here have all types of misunderstanding.

Here's direct from the website.

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/deathbenefits.htm

The order of priority there (different than the 1724 issue) is LISH spouse. (living is same household) spouse. Divorced spouses do NOT get LSDP and they are accidently paid all the time!

I've seen children get portions of the LSDP as well if there is no spouse. Say for example a person dies, is unmarried but has two kids from a prior relationship. The $255.00 gets split between the two kids.

I've split the $255.00 seven times for 7 kids.

.

Okay, now I'm even more confused about the death benefit. When my MIL died, we wrote Social Security about the benefit, and the reply was that Social Security only pays a death benefit to a surviving spouse or surviving dependent children.
And the link you posted seems to support that.
"A one-time payment of $255 is payable to the surviving spouse if he or she was living with the beneficiary at the time of death, OR if living apart, was eligible for Social Security benefits on the beneficiary's earnings record for the month of death.

If there is no surviving spouse, the payment is made to a child who was eligible for benefits on the beneficiary's earnings record in the month of death."



My wife is an only child, over the age of 18, not a dependent of her mother, and not disabled so she was not eligible for benefits on the beneficiary's earning record at the time of her death.

 

[merryweather20]

Wow! Our death benefit with CPP up here is $2,500. $255 wouldn't put much of a dent in funeral costs, medical bills etc.

 

[Cindy B]

Okay, now I'm even more confused about the death benefit. When my MIL died, we wrote Social Security about the benefit, and the reply was that Social Security only pays a death benefit to a surviving spouse or surviving dependent children.
And the link you posted seems to support that.
"A one-time payment of $255 is payable to the surviving spouse if he or she was living with the beneficiary at the time of death, OR if living apart, was eligible for Social Security benefits on the beneficiary's earnings record for the month of death.

If there is no surviving spouse, the payment is made to a child who was eligible for benefits on the beneficiary's earnings record in the month of death."




My wife is an only child, over the age of 18, not a dependent of her mother, and not disabled so she was not eligible for benefits on the beneficiary's earning record at the time of her death.

That is key. Since she is not a dependent she would not be eligible. With the seven kids, the kids were all under age 19. If she was a disabled adult child on the parents earning record, she would be eligible.

The confusion (at least in our office) resides on how long the spouse has been married. For regular spousal benefits you have to be married at least 9 months, but that is waived for the LSDP. Divorced adults can not get the LSDP.. and it does get paid out (it happens).

Now if there was an underpayment on her record (1724 situation) the spouse, adult children, divorced spouse or executor would be eligible for the underpayment. When a recipient passes away, the office of notification is supposed to check for underpayments and notify living relatives/spouses.

If you got the denial notice, it was checked. I'm sorry you didn't get it..

 

[Cindy B]

Cindy, does the wife of a person who dies have to wait until age 63 to collect the half of the desceased that they will get (assuming deceased was already collecting SS)..or is it 60? I know someone that waited to remarry until they were 70, so they could collect the SS of her late husband (the half). She said she started getting it at 60.
Thank you,
Doris

It depends on the person and the record. In some cases the person does better on their own earnings record than the 1/2 of their spouse. You are supposed to take the higher of the two.

Not only did the full retirement age go up in increments to age 67, but age 70 is the magic age for delayed retirement credtis (DRCs)

If you do not use SS benefits until age 70, a DRC is placed on your earnings record so you get a small "increase" in your insurance amount up to age 70. We are in essence giving a credit or increase in your primary insurance amount because you chose NOT to utilize SS at your earlier retirement age and continued to work. However, widows get a different credit called a SIMS.

It is hard to say with widow/widowers it gets "tricky" because if they are working and the deceased spouse was working the DRC/SIMS are different and the higher amount is used. Widows are tricky!

 

[Cindy B]

My sis is only 49 and not disabled (her DH was 51), so she would not be eligible for any benefits other than the $255. Their only child is 27, so nothing for her.

Thanks for the info!

Since I don't have a record in front of me (just for verification) I would say that this is correct. If the 27 year old was disabled, there could be benefits payable at this time.

Widows get paid at either age 6o or age 50 if disabled.

 

[DMRick]

Thanks..although I was asking more about just the age, (and she just isn't the sort of person who would make it up) and her ability to collect at 60 which she said was because she was a widow. I understand the ages for regular SS payments, since my DH collects.

She told me if he lived, she wouldn't have been qualified for half his SS until she was either 62 1/2, or 66, but since he died, she was able to get it at age 60 (she never worked, so she would not have gotten her own).

I was just curious why.

Ah, never mind, I googled it and sure enough, widows can collect at age 60:

http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10127.html#15

I wonder how many widows don't know this.

It depends on the person and the record. In some cases the person does better on their own earnings record than the 1/2 of their spouse. You are supposed to take the higher of the two.

Not only did the full retirement age go up in increments to age 67, but age 70 is the magic age for delayed retirement credtis (DRCs)

If you do not use SS benefits until age 70, a DRC is placed on your earnings record so you get a small "increase" in your insurance amount up to age 70. We are in essence giving a credit or increase in your primary insurance amount because you chose NOT to utilize SS at your earlier retirement age and continued to work. However, widows get a different credit called a SIMS.

It is hard to say with widow/widowers it gets "tricky" because if they are working and the deceased spouse was working the DRC/SIMS are different and the higher amount is used. Widows are tricky!

 

[minniecarousel]

hmmmm....my mother passed away on April 1, and lived with DH & I. I have a disabled brother (who lives alone). Can he file for the $255?

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm glad to hear it went well... the conversion to widows benefits is supposedto be seamless and sometimes it doesn't work that way.

Well I have to say that we were lucky in that the crematorium did the death certificate stuff in record time. So we had copies in our hands to fax and mail to those who needed it, which sped things up significantly.

She also had me...the family was grieving and she's not fluent in English, so I was at her house for weeks, just calling everyone...she would give permission to talk to me, I'd talk, I'd get it all done. Everyone should have someone there to make those phones calls and get things done, IMO! (can't recommend that the caller have a rambunctious 2 year old with her, but sometimes that happens...)

Anyway, the point is that if there had been a delay, it would have been on our end. Since FIL was already receiving benefits and the bank account wasn't changing, they were able to do everything quickly.

 

[Straitlover]

hmmmm....my mother passed away on April 1, and lived with DH & I. I have a disabled brother (who lives alone). Can he file for the $255?

Was he considered a dependent of your mother? Did she claim him on her taxes? if not, then I would think he cannot collect it.

 

[Cindy B]

hmmmm....my mother passed away on April 1, and lived with DH & I. I have a disabled brother (who lives alone). Can he file for the $255?

Was the brother on your parents social security r ecord or is he collecting on his own benefit record?

Honestly it doesn' t hurt to apply and let them say yes or no. It is worth applying either way.