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Who Contacts Social Security When a Spouse Dies?
Losing a spouse is a traumatic experience. Maurie Backman notes that with all that occurs after such an event, contacting the Social Security Administration (SSA) should be one of the the things the surviving spouse does. Sometimes, if you provide your funeral home with your spouse’s Social Security number, they can take care of that for you. But it’s generally a good idea to make that call yourself so you know it’s taken care of. Backman states, “If the SSA sends out a payment following a spouse’s death, you’re required to return that money. So if, for example, your spouse passes away in January but the SSA still sends their monthly benefit in February, that February payment isn’t yours to keep.” She goes on the explain spousal benefits in the full article here.