A Beneficiary's Death

Q. When someone dies, how does the Social Security Administration know?

A. Social Security gets reports of a beneficiary’s death from family members, funeral homes, institutions, and state and federal agencies such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Officials say it’s best that the Social Security Administration be notified within a month of the death of a relative to avoid a problem with checks being issued after the person has died. ­

Source: Social Security Administration

Carole Fleck is a senior editor at the AARP Bulletin.