SSA death benefit question

[04SE]

Long story short... My wife's Grandmother passed back in the Spring. She left 9 surviving children and was predeceased by 1 child. The estate consists of the 9 surviving children and the 5 children of the predeceased child.

My wife received a US Treasury check for $100 today. The executor said it is for payment of her Grandmother's last SSA check. Now, my wife has a 2% stake in the estate, so quick math indicates the SSA payment was $5,000. We verified that the 9 surviving children each received $500 and the other 4 grandchildren received $100 as well.

Where on earth is this $5,000 coming from?!? The SSA death benefit is what, $250 and the funeral home keeps that.

My wife's grandmother was NOT receiving $5,000 per month from SSA. I doubt she was receiving $1,000 per month.

I told my wife not to cash the check figuring someone at SSA has messed something up and they will come asking for the $100 plus penalties when they discover the error.

When my Grandmother passed back in 2011 the SSA was quick to take her last SSA payment back from her account when the funeral home reported her death. My wife's situation makes no sense to me.

 

[SZR48207]

Probably best to go see someone at the local SSA office. The ones here anyway are quite helpful for things like that.

 

[Kuato]

Originally Posted By: Reddy45
Probably best to go see someone at the local SSA office. The ones here anyway are quite helpful for things like that.


+1

 

[raytseng]

delete

 

[KJSmith]

Put it in your savings account.
If they want it back, give it back.

The won't penalize you for their mistake.

 

[Win]

Originally Posted By: 04SE
.... My wife received a US Treasury check for $100 today. The executor said it is for payment of her Grandmother's last SSA check. ...


Possibly the executor is confused; could it be a tax refund from the settlement of the decedents final tax return? SSA generally promptly demands the pro rata over payment for the month of death.

I would ask the accountant that did the return for the explanation.

 

[LoneRanger]

Gotta watch gov't agencies, might be like my son's GI Bill they over paid and when he questioned the amounts they said it's correct. Then almost a year later they billed him for the overage which he'd already spent on tuition, about $3000.

 

[ChiTDI]

The $500 death benefit is the unadjusted death proceeds amount since 1933. Nice of them to adjust for inflation and time, don't you think?
More than one beneficiary getting that amount raises my eyebrows, so proceed as you deem appropriate.
Might hold that for cocktail party conversation, and preface it with "Hypothetically speaking,...".