Resources

Social Security Benefits

A Message From Social Security:

Your funeral director is helping the Social Security office by giving you this information about Social Security benefits. If the deceased was receiving benefits, you need to contact us to report the death. If you think you may be eligible for survivors benefits, you should contact us to apply.

How Does Social Security Help Families?

Social Security survivors benefits help ease the financial burden that follows a worker's death. Almost all children under age 18 will get monthly benefits if a working parent dies. Other family members may be eligible for benefits, too. Anyone who has worked and paid Social Security (FICA) taxes has been earning Social Security benefits for his or her family. The amount of work needed to pay survivors benefits depends on the worker's age at the time of death. It may be as little as 1-1/2 years for a young worker. No one needs more than 10 years.

In addition to the monthly benefits for family members, a one-time payment of $255 can be paid to a spouse who was living with the worker at the time of death. If there is none, it can be paid to:

• A spouse who is eligible for benefits.
• A child or childreneligible for benefits.

This payment cannot be made if there is no eligible spouse or child.

Who Can Get Survivors Benefits?

Here is a list of family members who usually can get benefits:

• Widows and widowers age 60 or older.
• Widows and widowers at any age if caring for the deceased's child(ren) who are under age 16 or disabled.
• Widows and widowers at any age if caring for the deceased's child(ren) who are under age 16 or disabled.
• Divorced wives and husbands age 60 or older, if married to the deceased 10 years or more.
• Widows, widowers, divorced wives, and divorced husbands age 50 or older, if they are disabled.
• Children up to age 18.
• Children age 18 - 19, if they attend elementary school or high school full time.
• Children over age 18, if they became disabled before age 22.
• The deceased worker's parents age 62 or older, if they were being supported by the worker.

How do I apply for Benefits?

How you sign up for Social Security benefits depends on whether or not you are getting other Social Security benefits. If you aren't getting Social Security benefits, you can apply for benefits by telephone or by going to any Social Security office. You may need some of the documents shown on the list below. But don't delay your application because you don't have all the information. If you don't have a document you need, Social Security can help you get it. If you're already getting benefits as a wife or husband on your spouse's record when he or she dies, in many situations we can change your payments to survivors benefits once you report the death to us. Benefits for any children will also automatically be changed to survivors benefits after the death is reported to us.

What Information Is Needed to Apply?

• Your Social Security number and the deceased worker's Social Security number.
• A death certificate. (Generally, the funeral director provides a statement that can be used for this purpose.)
• Proof of the deceased worker's earnings for last year (W-2 forms or self-employment tax return).
• Your birth certificate.
• A marriage certificate, if you are applying for benefits as a widow, widower, divorced wife, or divorced husband.
• A divorce decree, if you are applying for benefits as a divorced wife or husband.
• Children's birth certificates and Social Security numbers, if applying for children's benefits.
• Your checking or savings account information, if you want direct deposit of your benefits.

You will need to submit original documents or copies certified by the issuing office. You can mail or bring them to the office. Social Security will make photocopies and return your documents.

SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME (SSI)

If you are 65 or older, disabled, or blind, ask the Social Security representative about Supplemental Security Income (SSI) checks for people with limited income and resources. If you receive SSI, you may also qualify for Medicaid, food stamps, and other social services

For more information, write or visit any Social Security office, or phone the toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213. You can speak to a representative weekdays 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. You can also visit Social Security's Internet website: www.socialsecurity.gov.

A Reminder:

If the deceased was receiving Social Security benefits, any checks which arrive after death will need to be returned to the Social Security office. If Social Security checks were being directly deposited into a bank account, the bank needs to be notified of the death, too.

Other Useful Links:

• Social Security Administration www.ssa.org
• A death certificate. (Generally, the funeral director provides a statement that can be used for this purpose.)
• Veterans Administration www.va.gov
• Find a Grave www.findagrave.com
• Michigan Funeral Directors Association www.mfda.org
• Greenville, Michigan Information www.greenvillemi.org

When A Death Occurs

Immediately following the death of a loved one, there are many decisions that must be made. At this time, you may find your emotions are heightened, and for that reason it is a good idea to ask for help in making all the decisions and arrangements. Additionally, the funeral home’s staff is eager to assist you and the family in making the best decisions possible.

This information can help guide you and your family through the process.

Contact The Proper Authorities

Before any arrangements and decisions can be made, a legal pronouncement of death must be declared. If your loved one dies inside of a medical or nursing facility like a hospital or nursing home, the staff will handle getting this declaration made. If your loved one dies at home, you need to immediately contact the local emergency officials to come and take them to a hospital where they can be legally declared dead. Family members who die under hospice care can be declared dead by the hospice staff. This legal declaration must be made before the family can proceed with making any funeral arrangements or handling any legal affairs.

Begin To Make Arrangements

Once your loved one has been declared dead you and your family can proceed with making any type of funeral arrangements. Your loved one may have pre-planned any type of services, and you and your family should first look into those choices. If your loved one has not made any previous type of arrangements, and you have decided on which funeral home you would like to to use for the services, you will contact them and meet with the funeral director and begin discussing options.

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.

As part of the process to begin making the funeral arrangements, if the deceased was active or retired military, contact the Veterans Administration to determine if they offer any death benefits or service options.

Information Funeral Directors May Need

Once you have met the funeral director, they will advise you on any information or paperwork they need for the death certificate or to proceed with making final arrangements.
Information Required:

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

Documents Funeral Directors May Need

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

• Account statements
• Beneficiary designations
• Life insurance policies
• Real estate deeds
• Car and boat deeds
• Stock and bond certificates
• Prenuptial agreements
• Post-Nuptial agreements
• Loans and leases
• Copies of bills
• Last will
• Tax returns

Taking Care Of Personal Property

Following the death of your loved one, there are 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 that 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 boss and inform them of the death. If your loved one had any upcoming appointments, make contact to notify them about the death and to cancel the appointment.

Talk Of A Lifetime

Have the Talk

The Funeral and Memorial Information Council (FAMIC) created Have the Talk of a Lifetime to help families have important conversations about the things that matter most to them and how a person’s life story can be remembered and honored in a meaningful way. Memorialization is so much more than it used to be. Today it can reflect a person’s life story, values, interests and experiences. Meaningful memorialization can be transformative, healing and comforting. Have the Talk of a Lifetime offers families practical advice and tools to help them have conversations about the things that matter most and how they hope to be remembered when they die and for generations to come.

Why is having the Talk important?

Deep down, most of us want to know that we, in some way, made a difference in this world. Having the Talk of a Lifetime can make the difference of a lifetime. It can help reacquaint us with our loved ones and help us get to know them in a new and different way. Sitting down with your loved ones to talk about their lives can be rich and satisfying. Learning about memorable events and people, places and favorite activities, values and lessons they have learned can help bring us closer to those we care about most. The talk helps us reaffirm to our loved ones how much they have impacted our life.

Who should Have the Talk?

You can have the talk of a lifetime with anyone you hold dear – your parents, children, grandparents, aunts and uncles, a spouse or a friend. It can happen anywhere you and your loved one are most comfortable – over a meal, at home, on a walk, at a family gathering or while playing a game. Your conversation can take place at any time, not just at the end of life.

How do I start the Talk?

Sometimes, using a visual prompt, such as a photo album, souvenir, or memento, can be a great way to start a conversation. Memorable places, such as the church where your loved one was married or a favorite park can also help someone begin to open up and share their story.

You could share a memory about a vacation you took together and will always remember, a piece of advice that you cherish, a song that reminds you of them or the reasons you will never forget them. You may wish to take notes during or after your conversation, or make an audio recording. You should choose whatever method seems most appropriate and comfortable given the setting of your conversation.

Some questions you could ask to start the talk are:

• What is your proudest achievement?
• What was the one piece of advice you received from your parents or grandparents that you never forgot?
• Tell me about the most memorable summer you had growing up.
• Tell me about your favorite teacher; what did you learn from him or her?
• If you could spend a day doing anything you like, what would it be?
• Who has been your greatest inspiration?