Community Chat

[KathyPet]

SS benefits are paid retroactively so the,payment you get in Feb is for Jan.  You must be alive for the entire month.  There are no pro rated payments.  So if the receipient dies on Jan 30 they are not going to get a Benefit payment for Jan.  My husband passed away on Feb 2 and his SS payment for Jan was deposited 2/10.  You can imagine my surprise when I checked our bank account on line yesterday and saw that payment had been debited from our account and returned to SS.  After 40 minutes on hold with the SSA I spoke to a representative and was told the following.  Yes my husband was entitled to the deposit made on 2/10 for Jan however as soon as SS is notified of a death of a beneficiary they immediately send a notice to the financial institution and instruct them to send the payment back.  I must now fill out paperwork from the SSA to reclaim that money.  That can take up to 60 days to get the money back.  Now the funeral home notified SS of the death and provided them with the date of death so SS knows that the payment is due him.  Doesn't matter.  They still take it back and then make survivors jump through hoops to get reimbursed.  Yes indeed our government agencies at their most efficient.

[Jeannie29]

Sorry for the loss of your husband. At this trying time, the last thing you should be worrying about is fighting with SS. Prayers to you and your family. 

[brii]

 They did the same thing to my MIL.   It seemed like it took a long  time to straighten out.

It should be pro-rated, IMO

[Preds]

@KathyPet  I am so very sorry for the loss of your husband.  My sympathies to you and your family.

Thank you for this information.  My dad just passed away and my step mom will need to know about this.  Right now she doesn't even want to discuss the things she will need to take of.

[Bird mama]

@KathyPet

That happened to me when my husband passed away.  He passed on January 3 and they recalled the money and then reissued it to me.

[Q4u]

Deepest condolences on your loss.... 

A friend of mine is on SS Disability.  SS apparently sent the monthly payment to someone else!!  (2 years ago now) and can 't find it and no money was sent again.

Their fault entirely...... Appalling!  No apologies, no more effort to find the money and meanwhile my friend had to live hand to mouth, paying bills by the grace of friends and family for an entire month.... but gosh help you if your spouse passes away in the middle of the month.....  something needs to REALLY change~!!  

[151949]

My husband wasn't on SS yet when he died but I had to apply to start getting benefits for his children, and I am aware the hassles they put you through. I never was able to get them to give me the $255 death benefit. I don't know what happened to that. My cousin is an attorney and I finally had to ask him to help me get the orphaned child benefits.They did not want to send them to me as the stepparent even though the kids lived with me. Finally what we did was open a bank account in both kids names and have it deposited there, so the money went directly to them. 

[kdgn]

My mom died the second week of the month a couple of years ago and SS never took back any monies. The only payment from SS had been deposited prior to her death for the month before. Her checking account remained open for 4 full months, the amount in there stayed the same. 

[2blonde]

I'm so sorry for anyone who has to be put through this added stress at an already stressful time.  Our government sure has no problem taking our money, but giving back what we've already paid to them during our years of hard work is a definite problem for them.  What a travesty.

[MaggieMack]

The same thing happened when my husband passed on the 2nd. Deposited the money, took it back, re deposited it. Fortunately, I wasn't in a cash pinch, but I feel for those that are. There has GOT to be a better way.