Social Security death benefit: the $255 payment and who gets it

The Social Security death benefit is a one-time payment of $255. Social Security's staff rule book calls it the lump-sum death payment. It is paid once. It does not repeat.

Three things must be true:

• The person who died worked long enough. They must have paid into Social Security for enough time. The rule book calls this being "fully or currently insured."
• The right family member is alive. The rules list only a spouse or a child.
• Someone applies in time. You generally have 2 years from the death.

$255 will not pay for a funeral. If you want to plan for that cost, see how final expense insurance works.

Social Security pays the $255 in this order:

1. A spouse who lived with the worker. The couple must have lived in the same home when the worker died.
2. A spouse who gets, or can get, survivor benefits on the worker's record. This covers a spouse who did not live with the worker.
3. A child who gets, or can get, benefits on the worker's record for the month of the death.

A divorced spouse cannot get it. The rule book says so, even if the ex-spouse gets monthly survivor benefits.

What if one spouse was in a nursing home? The couple can still count as living together. For a stay of 6 months or less, they must have planned to live together again. For a longer stay, it must have been for medical care. They must have lived together before the illness, and the illness must be the only reason they lived apart.

You apply with Social Security. The form for this payment alone is the SSA-8, the Application for a Lump-Sum Death Payment.

Often you do not need that form. The rule book says an application for monthly benefits also counts as an application for the $255. So a widow, widower or child who applies for monthly benefits does not need a second form.

The deadline. If an application is needed, you must file within 2 years of the death. Social Security can give more time in some cases. The rule book names two: you had a good reason to file late, or the worker or the person applying was in the armed forces.

These are made-up examples to show how the rules work. Social Security decides each real case.

• Ana and Luis lived together. Luis worked for many years. When he dies, Ana can get the $255. She is first in line.
• Grace lived in a nursing home for a year because of her health. Her husband Tom lived at home. They lived together before she got sick, and her illness was the only reason they were apart. When Tom dies, Grace can still count as living with him.
• Ray was divorced. His children are grown and do not get child benefits. When he dies, no one can get the $255. His ex-wife cannot get it, even if she gets survivor benefits.

The $255 is small. Monthly survivor benefits are often the bigger help. They are paid on the worker's record. Based on Social Security's rule book, these people may qualify:

• A widow or widower age 60 or older.
• A widow or widower age 50 to 59 who is disabled.
• A widow or widower of any age who cares for the worker's child, when that child gets child benefits.
• Children under 18. Also children under 19 who go to grade school or high school full time, and grown children with a disability that began before age 22.

The amount depends on what the worker earned. Social Security works it out. Ask about monthly benefits when you tell Social Security about the death. That one application also covers the $255.

Medicaid pays for health care. It does not pay for funerals in general. But some states and counties run their own burial help for people with low income. Rules and amounts differ a lot. Here are three examples from government pages we checked on November 1, 2026:

• Wyoming pays up to $1,500 to the funeral home. The person who died must have lived in Wyoming and been on Medicaid, SSI or a state work program.
• New York City can pay up to $1,700 toward the funeral bill for people with low income. You must apply within 120 days of the death.
• Indiana has a burial program for people in some Medicaid groups. Its page does not list an amount.

To find help where you live, ask the funeral home, your county social services office, or your state's human services department.

Saving for a funeral while on SSI. SSI (Supplemental Security Income) is a monthly payment for people with low income and few assets. SSI lets a person set aside up to $1,500 for burial costs, and up to the same amount for a spouse. Social Security does not count that money against the SSI limits. The rules have details, so ask before you buy a policy or set up a fund.

• Veterans. The VA can help pay for burial. It also offers free burial in a national cemetery for those who qualify. See VA burial benefits.
• Your rights at the funeral home. The Federal Trade Commission says funeral homes must give you written price lists. You can buy only the items you want. You can bring your own casket or urn.
• Ads that promise a big "government" funeral payment. Social Security's only death payment is $255. If an ad says more, read is the final expense program legit.
• Planning ahead. Some people buy a small life insurance policy to leave money for a funeral. See final expense insurance to learn how it works.