Dec
27
2012
By Guest (not verified)
I talked with a SS rep today to get a better understanding of a widows benefits and she offered a lump sum of $255.00. Can anyone tell me if this is to help pay for burial expenses and is this in addition too what I'll receive when I turn 60?
Widow's benefits - lump sum payment
The lump-sum death benefit of $255 is payable upon the death of a person who has worked long enough to be insured under Social Security.
The one-time lump-sum death payment of $255 is payable to a surviving spouse if he or she was living with the deceased.
Note the lump-sum death payment cannot be paid directly to funeral homes or estates for funeral expenses.
However, this one-time benefit is very minor in comparison to on-going survivor benefits which you may be eligible for. These include widow benefits which can begin as early as age 60, or benefits for surviving children under age 18. Monthly survivor benefits typically average over $1,000 per month.
http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/202
http://www.ssa.gov/survivorplan/ifyou2.htm
Recently widowed
Will I have to reapply for the benefits when I turn 60 even though I have already filled out the necessary paperwork and provided documentation since my husband was owed a SS payment at the time of his death. Thanks.
Applying for survivor benefits
Please contact the SSA directly for this. However, I suspect you will, at a minimum, have to fill out a form requesting survivor benefits as the two items (final owed payment vs. survivor benefits) are different items.
The following lists what you'll need to obtain survivor benefits. If you haven't yet provided these, you'll likely need to provide them for survivor benefits.
http://www.ssa.gov/survivorplan/howtoapply.htm#ht=1