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When someone dies When does their Social Security check stop?

When payments stop. Be aware that a person is due no Social Security benefits for the month of their death. “Any benefit that's paid after the month of the person's death needs to be refunded,” Sherman said. With Social Security, each payment received represents the previous month's benefits.

cnbc.com - Here's what happens to Social Security payments when you die

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If you're handling the financial affairs for an older person who has died, you may wonder how the government knows to stop sending Social Security payments. Or maybe there's a surviving spouse or dependent who is hoping those benefits can continue. Although Social Security rules can be complicated, the bottom line is that a person's benefits end at death. And for survivors, whether you qualify depends on several factors. Here's what to know.

Where to start

It's important for the Social Security Administration to be alerted as soon as possible after the person dies. In most cases, funeral homes notify the government. There's a form available that those businesses use to report the death. "The person serving as executor [of the estate] or the surviving spouse can also call Social Security," said certified financial planner Peggy Sherman, a lead advisor at Briaud Financial Advisors in College Station, Texas. Whoever does the reporting should be armed with the decedent's Social Security number.

When payments stop

Be aware that a person is due no Social Security benefits for the month of their death. "Any benefit that's paid after the month of the person's death needs to be refunded," Sherman said. With Social Security, each payment received represents the previous month's benefits. So if a person dies in August, the check for that month — which would be paid in September — would need to be returned if received. If the payment is made by direct deposit, the bank holding the account should be notified so it can return benefits that shouldn't have been delivered. It may be no surprise that using someone else's benefits after they die is a federal crime, regardless of whether the death was reported or not. If the SSA receives notice that fraud might be happening, the allegation is reviewed and potentially will warrant a criminal investigation. To combat duplicity, the agency matches records with other government entities to identify unreported deaths.

Benefits for survivors

If a spouse or qualifying dependent already was receiving money based on the deceased's record, the benefit will auto-convert to survivors benefits when the government gets notice of the death, Sherman said. "For all other cases, the surviving spouse will need to call Social Security and schedule an appointment to apply for survivors benefits," Sherman said. "You cannot do this online." If the widow or widower has reached their own full retirement age, they can get their deceased spouse's full benefit, Sherman said. They can apply for reduced benefits as early as age 60 (or, generally, age 50 if disabled), in contrast to the standard earliest claiming age of 62.

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What happens if you don't work 35 years for Social Security?

If you stop work before you start receiving benefits and you have less than 35 years of earnings, your benefit amount is affected. We use a zero for each year without earnings when we calculate the amount of retirement benefits you are due. Years with no earnings reduces your retirement benefit amount.

ssa.gov - The Age You Start Receiving Benefits and the Age You Stop Working | SSA

Your retirement age is the age you begin receiving Social Security retirement benefits. For many people, this is not the same age you’ll stop working. The age you stop working can affect the amount of your Social Security retirement benefits. We base your retirement benefit on your highest 35 years of earnings and the age you start receiving benefits. If You Stop Work Before You Start Receiving Benefits If you stop work before you start receiving benefits and you have less than 35 years of earnings, your benefit amount is affected. We use a zero for each year without earnings when we calculate the amount of retirement benefits you are due. Years with no earnings reduces your retirement benefit amount. Even if you have 35 years of earnings when you stopped working, some of those years may be low-earning years. When you file for retirement benefits, those years are averaged into your calculation, creating a lower benefit. However, if you had continued to work, your low earning years are replaced with your high earning years. Higher earnings increase your benefit amount.

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