If the check that was paid and then returned was for the November payment, the heirs will still receive the money. It will just take a little longer to get it from SSA. The point is that SSA cannot send money to a deceased person. A deceased person cannot cash a check, but someone else could illegally seize the money.

Paltry $255?
 

Don't blame the SSA. Blame Congress, it hasn't been increased in decades.

Short story I was the Power of Attorney for my uncle who was in a retirement home in Fort Myers.
I would made all payment from his checking account but within 48 hours of his passing his account was closed.
I had more than enough money, so I could pay for his funeral.
But since I live in TV, I had to petition the courts in Fort Meyers to get reimbursed.
Which was a process.
This happened so quickly I never had the chance to inform the bank or social security.
The way it seemed, they knew he was gone before I did.

Actually there’s a computer death record match that occurs in time. I strongly recommend that spouses and families don’t do what you’ve said. I was a federal agent who prosecuted people for doing this.

The OP state DOD was December 8th.

SS paymnets
 

the funeral home notify the agency of the passing

A Power of Attorney ends as soon as someone dies. A person with POA cannot legally withdraw any money from the deceased's account.

Don't kid yourself - Social Security knows of a person's passing in LESS than 24 hours and THEY notify the bank. I've had 3 personal experiences with this fact!

I am aware of that what amazed me was the swiftness of the bank closing the account.

GREAT topic but differing opinions leaves me confused
 

Hey All, this is a great subject matter but I'm left confused by the responses. Core question... Does the SS check received in the month of my death need to be returned to the SSA? It is my understanding that the check I receive on the 4th Wed of the month is actually payment for the next month. So if I die in January, the January check received should be returned. Do I have that right? But if I die on or after Feb 1, that check received in Jan can legally become part of my estate. Is that correct?

Any check received after a person dies must be returned to the SSA, regardless of which month it was payment for. A deceased person cannot legally receive or cash a check, so it must be returned. The heirs may have a claim for additional money from SSA, but it cannot come from money sent to a deceased person's bank account. That is the law.

From AARP...
 

"Say your spouse received her benefits on May 9 and died on May 30. Her family or her estate is entitled to keep the payment that arrived on May 9 because it was for April’s benefits. In fact, they would be entitled to keep that money even if she had died the day before it arrived — again, because that payment was for April’s benefits.

But her survivors are not entitled to keep the May benefit scheduled to arrive in June, even though she was alive for all but one day of May. She was not alive for the entire month, and for benefit purposes that is the determining factor. If that May payment is made because Social Security was not notified promptly of the beneficiary’s death, it will have to be returned."

So if you die on November 30, you don’t get any SS money for November? Even though you have to pay food, utilities, and amenity fees for the entire month.

I would think it would be prorated.

As I understand it, it is not prorated. If you die on November 30, you don't get anything for November. It may not be fair, but that is the way it works.

The survivors may be entitled to the April benefits, but they cannot remove money from the deceased's account. The money is returned to SSA, and the heirs can apply for the April benefit. It doesn't matter when the death was reported to the SSA, the April benefit is available to the heirs, but there is no benefit available for May. Note that, if the deceased received the money on June 9 and spent it or gave it to someone before death, the money would not need to be returned. But, no one can remove money from the account of a deceased person. Again, there is no SSA benefit for the month in which someone dies. It is not prorated.