The Social Security death benefit is a one-time payment of $255, officially called the lump-sum death payment. Social Security pays it to the surviving spouse who lived with the person who died. If there is no such spouse, it can go to a spouse or child who is eligible for monthly survivor benefits on that person's record. The person who died must have had enough work credits. You have 2 years from the date of death to apply, and many spouses get it automatically. It never goes to a funeral home, an estate, or other relatives. The amount is set by law and has not changed since 1954, so it is the same in 2026 and 2027.
That last part matters more than most guides admit. $255 will not pay for a funeral. It will barely cover a few certified copies of the death certificate and an obituary notice. This guide covers who gets the $255, how to claim it, and where families usually find the rest of the money.
Social Security Death Benefit at a Glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|
| Official name | Lump-sum death payment (LSDP) |
| Amount | $255, one time (set by law, not adjusted for inflation) |
| Who can get it | A surviving spouse or an eligible child (see priority order below) |
| Work requirement | The person who died must have been fully or currently insured under Social Security |
| Deadline | Within 2 years of the death, unless Social Security finds "good cause" for filing late |
| Form | SSA-8, Application for a Lump-Sum Death Payment |
| How to apply | Phone (1-800-772-1213), a local Social Security office, or online for some spouses |
| Paid to a funeral home? | No |
Source: Social Security Administration, POMS RS 00210.001, RS 00210.015, and SSA's lump-sum death payment page, checked November 1, 2026.
Who Gets the $255 Death Payment
Social Security pays the $255 to one group of people, in a set order. If someone in the first group qualifies, no one lower on the list gets it.
| Priority | Who qualifies | What they need |
|---|
| 1st | Surviving spouse who was living in the same household at the time of death | Proof of marriage and that you lived together |
| 2nd | Surviving spouse who did not live with the person, but was eligible for or receiving monthly survivor benefits on their record for the month of death | Must meet every rule for widow(er)'s, mother's, or father's benefits |
| 3rd | Child or children eligible for or receiving child's benefits on the record for the month of death | Usually under 18, 18 or 19 and in grade 12 or below full time, or disabled before 22 |
Source: SSA POMS RS 00210.001 and RS 00210.010.
A few details decide most real cases:
- Living together is read generously. A couple still counts as living together if one spouse was in a hospital or nursing home, away on business or in the military, or temporarily absent and both expected to live together again. Couples who were apart because of marital problems usually do not count.
- A divorced spouse cannot get the $255, even one who qualifies for monthly surviving divorced spouse benefits.
- A spouse who lived apart has a harder test. They must qualify for monthly survivor benefits for the month of death. In practice that usually means being 60 or older, 50 to 59 and disabled, or caring for the deceased person's child who is under 16 or disabled.
- Children split it equally. Three eligible children each get $85. If only one of the three applies, that child gets only $85, and the rest stays unpaid unless the others apply in time.
- If two spouses qualify at the same level, such as a legal spouse and a "deemed" spouse, they split it.
Who does not get it
The $255 is not payable when:
- There is no eligible spouse or child. Parents, siblings, adult children who do not qualify for child's benefits, and the estate get nothing.
- The Railroad Retirement Board handles the survivor claim or has already paid its own lump sum.
- The person who died had an approved religious exemption from Social Security taxes.
- The person who died owed Social Security an overpayment. Social Security uses the $255 to pay down that debt instead.
- The person applying was convicted of intentionally killing the person who died.
Source: SSA POMS RS 00210.020.
The Work Credit Requirement
The $255 depends on the work record of the person who died, not on the survivor's income or assets. There is no income limit and no asset test.
The person who died must have been either:
- Fully insured, which generally means about one work credit for each year after age 21, up to 40 credits. Anyone with 40 credits (roughly 10 years of work) is fully insured for life.
- Currently insured, which means at least 6 credits in the 13 calendar quarters ending with the quarter of death. This lets a younger worker with a short work history still qualify their family for the $255.
If the person was already getting Social Security retirement or disability benefits when they died, they almost always met this test. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) does not count. SSI is a needs-based program with no death benefit, so a person who only received SSI and never worked enough under Social Security leaves no $255 behind.
Do You Have to Apply?
Not always. Social Security does not need an application from:
- A spouse who was already getting spouse's benefits on the deceased person's record in the month before the death. Social Security switches that spouse to widow(er)'s benefits and pays the $255 without a separate form.
- A spouse or child who files for monthly survivor benefits on the same record. The survivor application covers the $255 too.
Source: SSA POMS RS 00210.005.
Everyone else has to file Form SSA-8 within 2 years of the death. That includes a spouse who lived with the person but is too young for survivor benefits and has no children in their care, which is a common situation for widows and widowers in their 40s and 50s.
How to Claim the Social Security Death Benefit, Step by Step
Step 1. Make sure the death has been reported. The funeral home usually reports the death to Social Security if you give them the deceased person's Social Security number. If no funeral home is involved, call Social Security yourself.
Step 2. Gather your documents. Social Security will ask for:
- The deceased person's Social Security number
- Proof of death, usually a death certificate (the funeral home's report often satisfies this)
- Proof of your relationship, such as a marriage certificate or the child's birth certificate
- Your bank account and routing number for direct deposit
You do not need a Social Security number of your own to file for the $255 only. You can usually start the application before you have every document. Social Security will tell you what is still missing.
Step 3. Choose how to apply.
| Method | Who can use it | Details |
|---|
| Phone | Anyone | Call 1-800-772-1213, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time. Say you want to apply for a lump-sum death payment. TTY: 1-800-325-0778 |
| Local office | Anyone | Walk-ins are accepted, but an appointment usually cuts the wait. Find an office at ssa.gov/locator |
| Online | Some surviving spouses only | Sign in through my Social Security (Login.gov or ID.me). Since December 2025, the online SSA-8 is limited to surviving spouses age 18 to under 50 who are not disabled. Everyone else is sent to a phone or office appointment |
| Paper SSA-8 | Anyone | Download Form SSA-8 from ssa.gov/forms, then mail it, drop it off, or send it with Social Security's Upload Documents tool |
Source: SSA's lump-sum death payment page; SSA supporting statement for Form SSA-8 (OMB No. 0960-0013), which says about 98% of these applications are taken by interview.
Step 4. Ask about monthly benefits during the same call. If you might qualify for monthly survivor benefits, tell the representative. One interview can handle both, and monthly benefits are worth far more than $255. Our guide to Social Security survivor benefits after death explains who qualifies, and the widow and widower benefits guide covers the age and remarriage rules.
Step 5. Watch for the payment. The $255 arrives as a direct deposit or a paper check in your name.
One thing to know when you report the death
Social Security pays benefits one month behind. The payment that arrives in the month after death is for the month the person died, and the family generally cannot keep it. If it lands in a bank account, Social Security will ask the bank to return it. Do not spend it, and do not treat it as part of the $255.
The 2-Year Deadline and Late Filing
You must file within 2 years of the death. Social Security can extend that deadline for "good cause," such as:
- Illness, or a mental or physical condition that kept you from filing
- Wrong or incomplete information from Social Security
- Delays while you gathered documents you thought you needed first
- Circumstances where you could not reasonably have known you had to file
Good cause does not apply if you knew about the deadline and chose not to file. If you are past 2 years, call anyway and explain why. Social Security has to ask you the reason before it decides.
Source: SSA POMS RS 00210.030.
What $255 Covers Next to Real Funeral Costs
The $255 was set in 1954. Adjusted for inflation, that amount would be worth roughly $3,000 today. It was never indexed, so it stays $255.
| Expense | National median or typical cost | Share the $255 covers |
|---|
| Funeral with viewing and burial | $8,300 (NFDA, 2023) | About 3% |
| Funeral with viewing and cremation | $6,280 (NFDA, 2023) | About 4% |
| Direct cremation, no service | Typically around $1,000 to $3,500 | About 7% to 25% |
| Cemetery plot, opening and closing, headstone | Not included in the NFDA medians, often several thousand dollars more | Very little |
NFDA medians come from the National Funeral Directors Association's 2023 General Price List Study, the newest national itemized survey available as of November 2026. Prices at many funeral homes are likely higher now. See our cremation cost guide for a fuller breakdown.
Bills to raise the payment have been introduced in Congress. The Social Security Survivor Benefits Equity Act, reintroduced in December 2025, would raise it to $2,900 and tie it to inflation. As of November 1, 2026, none of these bills has become law. Until one does, plan around $255.
Where the Rest of the Money Usually Comes From
Most families pay for a funeral from a mix of sources. These are the ones worth checking first.
VA burial benefits. If the person who died was a veteran, the VA may pay a burial allowance, a plot allowance, and transportation costs. Burial in a national cemetery and a headstone or marker are free for eligible veterans. See VA burial benefits for current amounts and how to file.
State and county burial assistance. Many states and counties pay part of the cost of a basic burial or cremation for families with low income. Rules and amounts vary widely. Our guide to help paying for a funeral walks through these programs, plus charities and crime victim funds.
Life insurance the person already had. Check for employer group life policies, union or association coverage, credit card or bank accidental death coverage, and older whole life policies. The money goes to the named beneficiary, usually within a few weeks of a claim.
Final expense or burial insurance. For people planning ahead, a small whole life policy, often $5,000 to $25,000 of coverage, is the most common way to cover funeral costs so a family is not left with the bill. Premiums depend on age, health, and the type of policy, so no figure is guaranteed until an insurer quotes it. Some guaranteed issue policies pay only the premiums back, plus interest, if death from illness happens in the first two years. Our final expense insurance guide and burial insurance guide explain how these policies work, what they cost by age, and how they interact with SSI and Medicaid.
Prepaid funeral plans. Some people pay a funeral home in advance. Ask the funeral home whether the person who died had a contract on file.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the Social Security death benefit in 2026 and 2027?
$255. The amount is fixed by law and does not change with the yearly cost-of-living adjustment. It was $255 in 2026 and is $255 in 2027 unless Congress changes the law.
Who gets the $255 if there is no spouse?
A child who is eligible for monthly child's benefits on the deceased person's record for the month of death. That usually means a child under 18, a child 18 or 19 still in grade 12 or below full time, or an adult child who became disabled before age 22. If there is no eligible spouse or child, no one gets it.
Can a funeral home collect the Social Security death benefit?
No. Social Security pays the $255 only to an eligible surviving spouse or child. A funeral home can report the death to Social Security, but the payment does not go to it.
Can adult children get the $255 death benefit?
Only if the adult child became disabled before age 22 and qualifies for child's benefits on the parent's record. A working adult child does not qualify, and neither does the estate.
Can a divorced spouse get the lump-sum death payment?
No. A surviving divorced spouse may qualify for monthly survivor benefits, but Social Security does not pay the $255 to a divorced spouse.
Can I apply for the $255 death benefit online?
Only in some cases. Since December 2025, surviving spouses age 18 to under 50 who are not disabled can file the SSA-8 online through my Social Security. Everyone else applies by phone at 1-800-772-1213, at a local office, or with a paper SSA-8.
What if my spouse died in a nursing home?
You still count as living in the same household. Social Security treats a stay in a hospital, nursing home, or other medical facility as a temporary absence when the couple would otherwise have lived together.
Does SSI pay a death benefit?
No. Supplemental Security Income has no death payment. The $255 comes from Social Security retirement, survivors, and disability insurance, so it depends on whether the person who died had enough work credits.
How long does it take to get the $255?
Social Security does not publish a set processing time. It depends mostly on how quickly it receives proof of death and proof of your relationship. Claims move faster when the funeral home has already reported the death and you have the marriage or birth certificate ready when you apply.
Is the Social Security death benefit taxable?
No. IRS Publication 915 says "no part of the lump-sum death benefit is subject to tax." Monthly survivor benefits are different and follow the normal rules for taxing Social Security benefits.
