My brother died late in the month — Is he entitled to Social Security for that month?

Dear Rusty: My question concerns the death of my brother late in the month. Since he passed away before the month ended, does that mean he will not receive a Social Security payment for that month? Does dying before the end of the month prevent him from receiving benefits for it? Signed: Executor of my Brother’s Estate

Dear Executor Sister: Please accept our sincere condolences on your brother’s passing. According to Social Security rules, benefits are paid in the month after they are earned, which means two things in this situation:

First, any Social Security payment your brother received during the month of his death is legally his, or his estate’s, because that payment was for the previous month.

Any benefit paid after that must be returned to Social Security. If the bank was notified of his death, it would normally handle the return automatically.

Social Security does not pay benefits for the month of death because the beneficiary must live through the entire month, and partial-month payments are not made. So even though your brother lived for most of the month, he and his estate would not receive a Social Security payment for that month. Even someone who dies just before midnight on the last day of the month is not eligible for that month’s benefit.

If your brother was married and his wife is still living, she may also be eligible for a one-time lump-sum death benefit of $255, provided she is eligible for her own retirement benefit. Depending on her own Social Security amount, she may also qualify for a surviving spouse benefit as his widow.