Social Security Death and Funeral Benefits: Does It Pay for a Funeral?

How much does Social Security pay for funeral expenses?

Social Security pays $255, one time. That is the whole amount. It is called the lump-sum death payment. It is set by law, and it is paid once per death, not once per family member. Social Security's own history page says the $255 cap was set in 1954. The amount is not adjusted for inflation, so it has stayed the same for more than 70 years.

Many people call this the "Social Security burial benefit" or "funeral benefit." The name is left over from long ago. Today the payment has no legal tie to funeral costs. The survivor who gets it can use it for anything, including funeral bills.

For scale, a traditional funeral usually costs thousands of dollars. See our funeral costs guide or try the funeral cost calculator to estimate costs where you live.

There is no $25,000 Social Security burial benefit, and there is no Social Security "final expense program." Those are ad claims. See the $25,000 burial benefit myth and the truth about the final expense program.

Who can get the $255 death payment

The payment is based on the work record of the person who died. That person must have worked long enough under Social Security to be "insured." If they were, Social Security pays the $255 in this order:

1. A surviving spouse who was living with the person when they died.
2. If not, a surviving spouse who was getting, or could get, widow or widower benefits (or mother or father benefits) on the person's record for the month of death.
3. If there is no eligible spouse, a child who was getting, or could get, benefits on the person's record for the month of death. If there is more than one, they split it equally.

A divorced spouse cannot get the $255. The payment is never sent to the funeral home or paid to the estate. If no spouse or child qualifies, no one gets it.

How to apply for Social Security burial benefits

You can apply by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or by visiting a local Social Security office. Social Security says survivors cannot apply for survivors benefits online, so plan on a phone call or a visit. A spouse can ask about the $255 and monthly survivors benefits on the same call. The application form is the SSA-8, but staff can fill it out with you.

Social Security may ask for:

• Proof of death, such as a death certificate.
• Proof of your relationship, such as a marriage certificate or a child's birth certificate.
• Proof of your age.
• If you are a spouse, facts that show you lived in the same household.
• In some cases, the person's W-2 forms or tax returns, or military discharge papers.

You can apply even if a document is missing. Social Security says it can help you get what you need. It will want to see originals of most documents and will return them to you.

The funeral home usually reports the death to Social Security for you. Give the funeral director the person's Social Security number. Funeral homes can use Form SSA-721, Statement of Death by Funeral Director, when they cannot report electronically. Reporting the death is not the same as applying for the $255.

The 2-year deadline

You must apply within 2 years of the date of death. If you miss it, the $255 is usually lost. Social Security can accept a late application for "good cause," such as a serious illness, a language barrier, or wrong information from Social Security. Ask about this if you are past the deadline.

A spouse who was already getting spouse benefits on the person's record may not need to file a new application for the $255. Ask when you call to report the death.

The check for the month of death usually must be returned

Social Security benefits are paid a month behind. The payment that arrives in the month after death is for the month of death, and it is not owed. This is true even if the person died on the last day of the month.

If the money came by direct deposit, tell the bank about the death and ask it to return any payment for the month of death or later. If a paper check arrives, do not cash it. Contact Social Security to return it.

Survivors benefits: the bigger help for some families

Survivors benefits are monthly payments based on the work record of the person who died. They replace some lost income. They are not a funeral payment, but for some families they matter much more than the $255. People who may be eligible include:

• A widow or widower age 60 or older, or 50 or older with a disability.
• A widow or widower of any age caring for the person's child who is under 16 or disabled.
• An unmarried child under 18, or up to 19 if still in high school full time, or an adult child disabled before age 22.
• A parent age 62 or older who depended on the person for support.

Remarriage before age 60 (50 if disabled) can end a widow or widower's eligibility. If you already get spouse or child benefits on the person's record, Social Security will switch them to survivors benefits once it learns of the death. Others must apply.

Does Social Security pay for cremation or burial?

No. Social Security has no cremation payment and no burial payment. It does not pay the funeral home, the cemetery or the crematory. The $255 is the only death payment, and only an eligible spouse or child can get it.

People also ask about SSI and SSDI. SSDI is part of Social Security, so the same $255 rule applies. SSI is a separate needs-based program. It pays nothing at death, but it lets people set money aside for burial. See SSI burial funds.

Other burial benefits that may help

When people search for "burial benefits," they often hope for a large government payment. In most cases there isn't one. Here is where help can actually come from:

Learn more: VA burial benefits, does Medicare pay for funerals, how to pay for a funeral, and funeral tax deduction rules.

Example: how the $255 fits into a real funeral bill

Example (hypothetical round numbers, not real data): Joan's husband dies. They lived together, and he worked long enough to be insured. The funeral bill is $8,000.

• Joan applies by phone and gets the $255 lump-sum payment.
• His Social Security payment for the month he died arrives by direct deposit. It is not owed, so the bank sends it back.
• Joan is 68, so she asks about survivors benefits on his record.
• That leaves about $7,745 of the funeral bill to pay from savings, insurance or family.

If Joan's husband had a small life insurance or burial insurance policy naming her as beneficiary, that could help pay the rest. See life insurance for funeral costs or learn what final expense insurance is.