what happens when a social security claimant dies during the course of their appeal?

by Albertha Schultz 7 min read

SSI benefits would stop accruing upon the claimant's death. Thus, if a person dies before starting an SSI claim, it only makes sense to file an SSI claim on the deceased person's behalf if there is a protective filing date. Even then, the succeeding family member can only expect to receive a month or two of SSI benefits.

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What happens when a Social Security disability applicant dies?

May 17, 2011 · If you have a loved one who passes away during the pendency of his/her Social Security Disability and you believe that you are eligible to receive the underpayment, the first thing you should do is get a copy of the death certificate and than file a Notice Regarding Substitution of Party Upon Death of Claimant. Of course, it will still be necessary to prove that the claimant …

What happens if I appeal my Social Security disability benefits?

If an individual dies before filing an SSI claim, another family member usually cannot file a new SSI claim on the deceased person's behalf. The lone exception occurs when the deceased individual was given a "protective filing date" because he had contacted Social Security about starting a disability claim. In that case, a family member generally has 60 days from the …

How do I appeal a VA disability claim after death?

Any party of interest to a deceased worker's SSDI claim can pursue an SSDI application, appeal or hearing, even if he or she is not the primary beneficiary. In an SSDI case, payments are made in the following order (unless a court determines a beneficiary intentionally caused the applicant's death—then that person can't collect anything):

What happens if a veteran dies before his disability claim is decisioned?

If the deceased person was eligible for SSDI or Social Security retirement benefits, his or her spouse and children will be eligible for survivors benefits. This is different from filing or continuing a claim on behalf of the deceased person. Family members of the deceased person file for survivors benefits in their own nae.

What happens when someone on SSDI dies?

What happens if the deceased received monthly benefits? If the deceased was receiving Social Security benefits, you must return the benefit received for the month of death and any later months. For example, if the person died in July, you must return the benefits paid in August.

When a person dies does Social Security take back money?

Social Security payments are made on the third day of each month as payment for the previous month. Thus, a Social Security recipient must have survived the entire month to be entitled to the payment. For example, if a recipient dies on June 24, the payment made on July 3 will have to be returned.Mar 9, 2022

How do you get the $250 death benefit from Social Security?

Form SSA-8 | Information You Need To Apply For Lump Sum Death Benefit. You can apply for benefits by calling our national toll-free service at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or by visiting your local Social Security office.

Who is entitled to death benefits in Social Security?

Surviving dependents of Social Security beneficiaries may be eligible for survivor benefits if they had a qualifying relationship with the deceased. Here are some examples of those relationships: Widowed spouses aged 60 and above, or disabled spouses over age 50, can collect the benefits their late spouse received.Jan 2, 2021

When someone dies When does their Social Security check stop?

Benefits end in the month of the beneficiary's death, regardless of the date, because under Social Security regulations a person must live an entire month to qualify for benefits. There is no prorating of a final benefit for the month of death.

Who qualifies for the $255 death benefit?

Only the widow, widower or child of a Social Security beneficiary can collect the $255 death benefit, also known as a lump-sum death payment. Priority goes to a surviving spouse if any of the following apply: The widow or widower was living with the deceased at the time of death.

Does Social Security pay for funeral expenses?

Does Social Security Pay for Funeral Expenses? Social Security may provide a death payment that can be used toward funeral expenses, but it is unlikely to be a substantial amount. Your surviving spouse or child will receive a lump-sum payment of $255 if they meet certain requirements.

Can a grown child collect parents Social Security?

How much can a family get? Within a family, a child can receive up to half of the parent's full retirement or disability benefits. If a child receives survivors benefits, they can get up to 75% of the deceased parent's basic Social Security benefit.

Why is the death benefit only $255?

Thus 3 X the PIA for these maximum cases would yield a LSDB of $255. In 1954, Congress decided that this was an appropriate level for the maximum LSDB benefit, and so the cap of $255 was imposed at that time.

Continuing An SSDI Claim After The Claimant Dies

An SSDI claim doesn't die with the claimant. Social Security may decide even after a person has died that he or she should have been entitled to mo...

Starting An SSDI Claim After A Claimant Dies

What if an individual never actually filed for SSDI benefits before dying? A beneficiary has three months from the month of death to file a new SSD...

When Would Disability Benefits Start and Stop accruing?

In the case of SSDI, there is a five-month waiting period after a person's the disability onset date during which he or she is not entitled to mont...

How to proceed With A deceased Family Member's Disability Claim

You should send Social Security a copy of the death certificate along with SSA Form HA-539 "Notice Regarding Substitution of Party Upon Death of Cl...

How long does it take to file for SSDI after death?

What if an individual never actually filed for SSDI benefits before dying? A beneficiary has three months from the month of death to file a new SSDI claim on the deceased person's behalf, and up to six months if the deceased person had a " protective filing date" from previously contacting SSA about filing a claim.

How long does a family member have to file for disability?

In that case, a family member generally has 60 days from the protective filing date to file for SSI benefits.

How long does it take to get disability benefits?

The process of applying for benefits and obtaining an approval can take anywhere from a few months to several years, depending on the wait time at the local hearing office and the number of appeals an applicant must pursue.

When do SSI benefits stop accruing?

SSI benefits would stop accruing upon the claimant's death. Thus, if a person dies before starting an SSI claim, it only makes sense to file an SSI claim on the deceased person's behalf ...

Can a spouse get survivors benefits after death?

However, spouses and dependent children of deceased SSDI beneficiaries are usually eligible for survivors benefits.

Can you continue SSDI after death?

Continuing an SSDI Claim After the Claimant Dies. An SSDI claim doesn't die with the claimant. Social Security may decide even after a person has died that he or she should have been entitled to monthly SSDI benefits before death. SSA calls this situation an "underpayment.".

Who can collect SSDI underpayment?

The following order of preference dictates who may collect an SSDI underpayment: a surviving spouse who was living with the disabled person, or who was entitled to SSDI benefits on the person's record, during the month of death. any child or children entitled to disability benefits on the deceased person's record during the month of death, and.

How long does it take to file for disability benefits after death?

But, if a person contacted the SSA and made an inquiry about filing for disability benefits before he or she died, a beneficiary can file an application within 60 days of the "protective filing" date—or longer if the SSA didn't send a "close out" notice advising the applicant of when the protective filing period ended.

What can a beneficiary do if a deceased person is not represented?

If the deceased applicant was not represented, a beneficiary can hire a lawtyer to help continue the claim, advocate for a favorable decision, and ensure payments after an award are properly distributed.

What are the two types of disability benefits?

There are two basic types—SSDI, based on the worker's own earnings record, and SSI, based on low income and assets.

How long does it take to qualify for Medicare?

Medicare. Eligibility for Medicare is triggered by an SSDI disability award after 24 months of payments. When a last illness has been costly and there are attachable assets in an estate, this can actually help the deceased applicant's heirs more than the payment of disability benefits.

What happens if there are no children?

If there are none, then: To the legal representative of the deceased person's estate. For example, if the deceased worker is divorced, his or her minor children would be entitled to an equal share of any underpayment—whether the children lived with the worker or the ex-spouse.

Does the SSA have to contact obvious beneficiaries?

The SSA won't spend much or any time looking for a beneficiary to pay or file a claim if there's not an obvious one noted in the file, like a wife or children with a known address. If the underpayment amounts to less than $50, the SSA doesn't have to contact even obvious beneficiaries.

Is SSDI more liberal than poverty?

Because SSDI benefits are based on taxpayer contributions rather than poverty, the SSA is more liberal when it comes to filing and continuing posthumous disability claims. There's almost always a potential beneficiary—or more than one. Before the SSA pays beneficiaries, though, the SSA will honor legitimate liens on the deceased worker's Social Security record for child support and money owed to other federal agencies like the IRS, VA, SSA, Dept. of Education, or USDA.

How to report a deceased person to the SSA?

When an applicant dies after filing a disability claim, if your relationship to the applicant is one that allows you to collect as a beneficiary , you should report the deceased person's death to the SSA by calling 800-772-1213.

How long does a deceased person have to file for disability?

However, if the deceased person had contacted the SSA about filing a claim before he or she died, a beneficiary has up to 60 days after the deceased person made the inquiry (called the "protective filing date") to start an SSI disability claim. If a deceased person had already filed an SSI claim but the Social Security Administration (SSA) ...

What does the SSA look for in a deceased person?

The SSA will need to look at all of the applicant's relevant medical evidence and work history to determine whether the deceased person was disabled and eligible for disability, just like the SSA would do in a situation where the applicant was not deceased.

How long does a disability last?

One of the requirements that must be met in order to be eligible for disability is that the applicant's impairment has to have lasted 12 months, be expected to last 12 months, or be expected to result in death. If the applicant died before he or she has been affected by the impairment for 12 months, ...

How long after death can you get SSDI?

So if a disability applicant filed an SSDI claim and died less than five months after his or her disability onset date, nobody will be able to receive the deceased's benefits. That is because if the applicant was still alive, he or she would not be able to receive benefits for five months after the onset of the disability either.

When does a person who dies get disability?

That means if the onset date of the disability is January, the recipient would not receive benefits until June. If a person died before filing a disability claim and you file a claim on the deceased person's behalf, the claim will be denied if the SSA finds that the onset of the deceased's disability was five months or less before the date ...

How long before death can you file for Social Security?

However, if there is a chance that Social Security could find the applicant's onset date was earlier than five months before death, the claim could be worth pursuing because there could be a closed period of benefits due. So if the applicant applied several months after the onset of disability and then died a few months later, ...

What happens to Social Security when a spouse dies?

En español | When a Social Security beneficiary dies, his or her surviving spouse is eligible for survivor benefits. A surviving spouse can collect 100 percent of the late spouse’s benefit if the survivor has reached full retirement age, but the amount will be lower if the deceased spouse claimed benefits before he or she reached full retirement age. (Full retirement age for survivor benefits differs from that for retirement and spousal benefits; it is currently 66 but will gradually increasing to 67 over the next several years.)

How long do you have to be married to receive survivor benefits?

In most cases, a widow or widower qualifies for survivor benefits if he or she is at least 60 and had been married to the deceased for at least nine months at the time of death. But there are a few exceptions to those requirements: 1 If the late beneficiary’s death was accidental or occurred in the line of U.S. military duty, there’s no length-of-marriage requirement. 2 You can apply for survivor benefits as early as age 50 if you are disabled and the disability occurred within seven years of your spouse’s death. 3 If you are caring for children from the marriage who are under 16 or disabled, you can apply at any age.

Can a deceased spouse receive survivor benefits?

If you are the divorced former spouse of a deceased Social Security recipient, you might qualify for survivor benefits on his or her work record. If you are below full retirement age and still working, your survivor benefit could be affected by Social Security's earnings limit.

How long does it take to appeal SSI?

The notice will tell you how to appeal. If you file an appeal within 10 days of the date you receive your notice, your SSI benefits may continue at the same amount until we make a determination on your appeal. The notice will tell you if you are entitled to continued benefits.

What happens if the Appeals Council issues a decision?

If the Appeals Council issues a decision or denies your request for review of a judge’s decision, and you disagree with the action of the Appeals Council, you may file a civil action with the U.S. District Court in your area. We cannot help you file a court action.

What are the levels of appeal?

The levels of appeal are: Reconsideration; Hearing; Appeals Council Review; and. Federal Court.

How long does it take to get a hearing decision?

We consider that you receive the hearing decision 5 days after the date on the hearing decision. The Appeals Council will examine your case and will grant, deny, or dismiss your request for review.

How long do you have to file a court action?

You may want to contact a lawyer or a legal aid group to help you. You must file an action in U.S. District Court within 60 days after you receive the notice of Appeals Council action.

Can you appeal SSI?

You can appeal most determinations and decisions we make about whether you can get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or if we make changes to your benefit amount. That means you can ask us to look at your case again.

Can you submit new evidence to the Appeals Council?

You or your representative may submit or inform us about new evidence. The Appeals Council will only review a case based on additional evidence if it is new, material, related to the period on or before the hearing decision, and there is a reasonable probability the evidence would change the outcome of the decision.

How to appeal Social Security denied?

If we recently denied your Social Security benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you may request an appeal. Generally, you have 60 days after you receive the notice of our decision to ask for any type of appeal. There are four levels of appeal: 1 Reconsideration. 2 Hearing by an administrative law judge. 3 Review by the Appeals Council. 4 Federal Court review (please see the bottom of page for information on the Federal Court Review Process).

What are non medical reasons for disability?

Non-medical reasons may include a denial due to income, resources, overpayments, or living arrangements. Request Non-Medical Reconsideration. Check the Status of Your Reconsideration. Whether you filed your appeal online, by mail, or in an office, you can check the status of your disability and SSI Reconsideration using your personal my Social ...

What is a reconsideration of disability?

The disability reconsideration is the first level of appeal for a denial of a Social Security Disability or SSI disability claim. A reconsideration is essentially this: the social security administration will simply take a second look at your disability claim to see if the first decision (when your disability application was denied) was correct or incorrect.

What is the tactical value of a reconsideration?

However, in most cases, the tactical value of a reconsideration is that if a person gets denied on this appeal, they can then file the next appeal which is a request for a disability hearing. And at hearings, those with representation have a substantially higher chance of being approved for disability benefits.

Why is reconsideration made by the same agency?

Simply because the reconsideration decision is made by the same agency (DDS) that denied the claim in the first place. The only real difference is that a different disability examiner makes the decision, usually using the exact same medical evidence, and usually within just a few weeks of the first decision--which was a denial ...

How much of a disability hearing is won?

Disability hearings involving representation are typically won more than 60 percent of the time. You may contact your local Social Security office to request your reconsideration paper work and if you have a disability lawyer you can simply contact this individual to handle your request for reconsideration.

How long does it take to get a reconsideration decision?

Typically, a reconsideration decision on a disability claim is made faster than on a disability application and it is not unreasonable to expect a decision within eight weeks.

How long does it take to get a Social Security reconsideration?

Whether you submit a reconsideration or your attorney does, the reconsideration appeal must be submitted to social security within sixty-five days ( the sixty day appeal deadline plus 5 days allowed for mailing). This means it must actually be received by the Social Security Administration, not just post marked, by the sixty-fifth day.

Can I request my medical records again?

At DDS, social security may request your medical records again, particularly if you indicate on the appeal forms that you have had new treatment with your current physician or physicians, or that you have a new source of treatment. Of course, you may be sent to a consultative medical examination (CE for short).

How to notify VA of death?

Notify the VA of the death of the veteran (by calling main number 1-800-827-1000). Complete Form VA 21-0847 – Request for Substitution of Claimant Upon Death of Claimant. This MUST be received by the VA within one year of the veteran’s death. Continue to submit evidence.

What is a veteran's death certificate?

The veteran’s death certificate will be an important piece of evidence indicating primary and secondary causes of death. Please be aware that there are a number of other ways to connect a medical condition as potentially contributing to a veteran’s death.

How long does a veteran have to serve in the military before death?

For at least 10 years immediately before death, OR. Since the Veteran’s release from active duty and for at least five years immediately preceding death, OR. For at least one year before death if the Veteran was a former prisoner of war who died after September 30, 1999. Fortunately, DIC benefits are not taxable.

Can a veteran die before his case is decided?

If a veteran has filed a claim for disability compensation benefits and it has not yet been decided or is on appeal, you might think that if the veteran should die before his case is decided, then his claim would go away. That does not have to be the case.

Who is considered a substitute claimant?

A substitute claimant could include the surviving spouse, a dependent child or children (who must be under 18 or between 18 and 23 if attending school or found helpless), or surviving dependent parent (s). Priority is given to those listed above in the order listed.

Can you add additional evidence to a pending claim?

Continue to submit evidence. No additional new claims can be added but additional evidence for the pending claim (s) can be submitted. If the veteran had received a denial of a pending claim at the time of his death, the substitute claimant can still appeal that denial if done within one year of the denial.