Supporting You in Difficult Times

Social Security Death Benefits are paid to widows, widowers, and dependents of a deceased eligible worker. This benefit, meant to assist with a family’s financial burden of losing the lost loved one’s income, is particularly important for young families with children.

Monthly benefit amounts are based on the earnings of the person who died. The more they paid into Social Security, the higher your benefits would be. This amount is a percentage of the deceased’s basic Social Security benefit.

Additionally, a one-time lump-sum death payment of $255 can be paid to the surviving spouse if he or she is living with the deceased; or if living apart, was receiving certain Social Security benefits on the deceased’s record. When there is no surviving spouse, the payment is made to a child who is eligible for benefits

• A widow or widower age 60 or older
• A surviving divorced spouse, under certain circumstances
• A widow or widower at any age who is caring for the deceased’s child who is under age 16 or disabled and receiving child’s benefits
• An unmarried child of the deceased who is one of the following:
• Younger than age 18 (up to age 19) if he or she is a full-time student in an elementary or secondary school).
• Age 18 or older with a disability that began before age 22.

In most cases, the funeral home will report the person’s death, however, if not, a surviving family member should notify the Social Security Administration as soon as possible following the date of death. Deaths cannot be reported online, and benefits can not be applied for online.

If you need to report a death or apply for benefits, or have questions about qualifying to receive survivor’s benefits, call 

1-800-772-1213.

Additional information is available online at ssa.gov/benefits/survivors.

Before any arrangements and decisions can be made, a legal pronouncement of death must be made. If your loved one dies inside a medical facility like a hospital, nursing home, or hospice facility their staff will handle getting this pronouncement made. If your loved one dies at home, you need to immediately contact the local emergency officials so a legal pronouncement can be made. This legal declaration must be made before the family can proceed with making any funeral arrangements or handling any legal affairs.

Once a pronouncement has been made, you and your family can begin making funeral arrangements.  At this time it is advisable to locate a copy of a pre-need contract, life insurance policy, or other final wishes documentation. If you have a Boxwell Brothers Trust Funded Pre-Need Contract it is not necessary to locate your copy as we maintain the original document. If your loved one has a pre-need contract with another funeral home and you want us to honor that contract, please bring it with you to the arrangements meeting.

During this time, if the deceased hasn’t made their final wishes known, the family will need to decide if they will bury or cremate the body, and what type of service should be held. These decisions include the time, date, and location of any service; what type of casket or urn your loved one needs; drafting an obituary notice; deciding on pallbearers; and make any decisions about the specifics of the service like who the minister will be, what music will be played and who will speak.

When you meet with your funeral director, the following information will beneeded to complete the death certificate:

• Full legal name and address
• Marital status
• Race/Ethnicity
• Date and city of birth
• Highest level of education
• Father’s name, mother’s maiden name
• Full legal name of spouse
• Occupation and employer
• Social Security Number

Funeral directors may need important documents to complete any legal paperwork. These documents include:

• Beneficiary designations
• Life insurance policies
• Military Discharge papers (form DD 214)

Following the death of your loved one, there are a few things you need to attend to involving the deceased’s personal life. First, secure your loved one’s property. Make sure their home and vehicle are properly secure.

If your loved one has a pet, make the necessary arrangements for the pet to be taken care of by family or friends. Any mail that comes to your loved one should be forwarded to a family member who plans to handle the deceased’s estate. Any mail that piles up at a vacant home only alarms potential intruders that a home is empty.

Make sure to contact the deceased’s employer and inform them of the death. If your loved one has any upcoming appointments, make contact to notify them about the death and to cancel the appointment.

When the death occurs within the United States, the family has the option to transport the body back to the home state or town. This usually requires the use of a mortuary service or other funeral home to provide a part of the services. Boxwell Brothers will source the assisting funeral home. The funeral home or mortuary service at the location of death will collect and prepare the body for transport and Bowell Brothers will receive the body and conduct any services the family would like to hold.

When a death occurs outside of the United States, the family can have the body returned. The preparation and shipment will be done according to the laws and customs of the country where the death occurred. Embalming isn’t widely practiced in other countries, however there are other methods to prepare the body for shipment. The family will also have the option to bury the deceased in the country where the death occurred or have the remains cremated and returned to the United States through the mail or air services with the family.

During this time, if the deceased hasn’t made their final wishes known, the family will need to decide if they will bury or cremate the body, and what type of service should be held. These decisions include the time, date, and location of any service; what type of casket or urn your loved one needs; drafting an obituary notice; deciding on pallbearers; and make any decisions about the specifics of the service like who the minister will be, what music will be played and who will speak.