How to apply for the $255 Social Security death benefit and who is eligible
Find out how to apply for the Social Security Administration’s lump-sum death benefit, available to eligible spouses or children.
When a Social Security-insured worker dies in the U.S., their surviving spouse or children may be eligible to receive a one-off payment of $255 from the Social Security Administration (SSA). This is separate to the SSA’s monthly survivor benefits: claimants can get both.
When applying for the $255 payment, known as the ‘lump-sum death benefit’, the worker’s surviving spouse has priority over any potentially eligible children.
Lump-sum death benefit: eligibility requirements
The deceased worker’s surviving spouse qualifies if:
- the worker and surviving spouse were living together when the worker died
- the worker and surviving spouse were living separately but the latter was receiving spousal benefits based on the worker’s employment history, or is eligible for survivor pay after the worker’s death
If no eligible spouse exists, the payment goes to the deceased worker’s child or children if:
- the child or children was/were receiving family benefits based on the worker’s employment record, or is/are eligible for survivor benefits after the worker’s death
Eligible children are:
- aged 17 or younger
- aged 18-19 and in full-time K-12 education
- any age, if they developed a disability at 21 or earlier
The lump-sum payment is split evenly between the worker’s eligible children if there is more than one.
How to apply for the lump-sum death benefit
If you need to apply for the lump-sum death payment, the SSA appears to offer the option of starting your claim online here. You can also call the SSA’s toll-free hotline at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), or visit a Social Security office.
An appointment is not required for in-person applications, but the SSA recommends arranging one; this may reduce your waiting time at the Social Security office.
The lump-sum death benefit application form can be accessed online here. The SSA says eligible spouses or children must claim the payment within two years of the death of the Social Security-insured worker.
Documents you may be asked to provide:
- birth certificate or alternative proof of birth
- evidence of U.S. citizenship or ‘lawful alien status’
- U.S. military discharge paper(s) if you served before 1968
- W-2 form(s) and/or self-employment tax returns for the preceding year
- the deceased work’s death certificate
When you apply for the lump-sum death benefit, you will be asked a series of questions about you and the deceased worker. Check out the full list of questions here.
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