How Do I Notify Social Security of a Death and Apply for Survivor’s Benefits if I Am Eligible?

To notify the Social Security Administration of a death (they handle reports for both Social Security and Medicare recipients) do one of the following:

• Give the funeral director your loved one’s Social Security number, and they will report the death to the SSA.

OR

• Contact your local Social Security office or call the main SSA number at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) to report the death. Note that you can only report the death in person or via phone — the SSA will not accept email or online reports. If you are reporting the death, you can initiate the process without the death certificate, but you will need it to complete the report.

Applying for Survivor’s Benefits

Spouses, divorced spouses, dependent parents, and children who are minors, K-12-enrolled or disabled may be eligible to continue receiving the person’s Social Security and/or Medicare benefits. You can check more detailed eligibility requirements on the Social Security Administration website. 

You can apply for benefits directly on the SSA’s website, or make an in-person appointment by calling the main SSA number (1-800-772-1213) and letting the agent know you’d like to set up an appointment to apply for survivor’s benefits.

Information you’ll need includes: 

• Your own social security number and place of birth (city, state, and country).
• The last five years of work information for the person who died:
  • Employer name(s)
  • The dates worked
  • Average number of hours worked
  • Pay rate(s)
• Information on past and current marriages
  • Your former spouse or spouse’s birthday and Social Security number 
  • The date you got married and/or divorced
  • The location you got married (city, state, and country)
• Names of children age 17 or younger, age 18 or 19 if enrolled in a K-12 school full-time, or any age if they have a disability that developed at the age of 21 or before
• For direct deposits of any benefit payments, you’ll need the routing number and account number of your bank account

Sources

“Report the death of a Social Security or Medicare beneficiary”. USA.gov. https://www.usa.gov/social-security-report-a-death

“Survivor benefits”. Social Security Administration. https://www.ssa.gov/survivor

“Who can get Survivor benefits”. Social Security Administration. https://www.ssa.gov/survivor/eligibility