Social Security pays $255 toward funeral expenses. That is the entire amount, delivered as a one-time lump-sum death payment to a qualifying surviving spouse or child after an insured worker dies.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 402 – Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Benefit Payments – Section: Lump-Sum Death Payments The figure has not changed since 1954 and is not adjusted for inflation, so it covers only a small fraction of a typical funeral bill. Social Security’s monthly survivor benefits, described further down, are a separate program and are usually worth far more over time.
Why the Amount Is $255
Federal law calculates the payment as three times the worker’s primary insurance amount or $255, whichever is less. $255 is the ceiling regardless of the worker’s earnings history.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 402 – Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Benefit Payments – Section: Lump-Sum Death Payments Social Security has no authority to pay more based on need or on what the funeral actually cost. The $255 is not taxable.2Internal Revenue Service. Publication 915 – Social Security and Equivalent Railroad Retirement Benefits
For context, the national median cost of a funeral with viewing and burial was $8,300 in 2023, according to the National Funeral Directors Association. The $255 covers roughly 3% of that.
Who Gets the $255
Only one person or group receives the payment, and the order of priority is fixed by regulation.
A Surviving Spouse Who Lived With the Worker
First in line is a surviving spouse who was living in the same household as the worker at the time of death.3eCFR. 20 CFR 404.390 General If that spouse exists, the payment goes to them and no other relative can claim it.
A Surviving Spouse Living Apart
A spouse who was not in the same household can still qualify if they were already receiving Social Security benefits on the worker’s record, or became eligible for those benefits in the month the worker died. A surviving divorced spouse who qualifies for widow or widower benefits on the record fits this category.4eCFR. 20 CFR 404.392 – Who Is Entitled to the Lump-Sum Death Payment When There Is No Widow(er) Who Was Living in the Same Household
Eligible Children
If no spouse qualifies, the $255 is split equally among children who were eligible for Social Security benefits on the worker’s record in the month of death.4eCFR. 20 CFR 404.392 – Who Is Entitled to the Lump-Sum Death Payment When There Is No Widow(er) Who Was Living in the Same Household Eligible children means:
- Children under 18
- Children age 18 or 19 who are full-time elementary or secondary school students
- Adult children of any age whose disability began before age 22
When Nobody Qualifies
If no spouse or eligible child meets these tests, the payment is not made. Parents, siblings, and adult children without a qualifying disability cannot receive it. The $255 is simply forfeited.5Social Security Administration. Survivors Benefits
The Deceased Worker Must Have Earned Enough Credits
The lump-sum payment is only available when the worker was “insured” under Social Security. Workers earn credits by paying Social Security taxes, and 40 credits (about 10 years of work) is the most anyone needs to be fully insured.6Social Security Administration. Social Security Credits and Benefit Eligibility
A younger worker who died before building a long record can still qualify their family under a special rule: at least six credits earned in the three years before death is enough for survivors to receive the lump-sum and other survivor benefits.6Social Security Administration. Social Security Credits and Benefit Eligibility
How to Claim the Payment
Funeral homes usually report the death to Social Security, but that report does not trigger the $255. You have to apply separately using Form SSA-8.7Social Security Administration. Survivor Benefits
You can file three ways:
- Online, by completing and submitting Form SSA-8 through the Social Security website8Social Security Administration. Form SSA-8 – Information You Need to Apply for Lump Sum Death Benefit
- By phone at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.9Social Security Administration. Lump-Sum Death Payment
- In person at a local Social Security office; an appointment is not required but can shorten the wait8Social Security Administration. Form SSA-8 – Information You Need to Apply for Lump Sum Death Benefit
Bring or have ready:
- The death certificate
- Social Security numbers for you and the deceased
- Proof of relationship (marriage certificate for a spouse; birth certificate or adoption papers for a child)
- W-2 forms or self-employment tax returns for the worker’s earnings in the year of death and the year before
- Names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers for the worker’s children, so the agency can identify anyone else entitled to survivor benefits8Social Security Administration. Form SSA-8 – Information You Need to Apply for Lump Sum Death Benefit
The deadline matters: you must apply within two years of the date of death, or the payment is gone.10Social Security Administration. SSA Handbook 433 There is one narrow exception. If you were already receiving spousal benefits on the worker’s record in the month before the death, Social Security may issue the $255 without a separate application.11Social Security Administration. SSA Handbook 1517 – Time Limit for Applying for Lump-Sum Death Payment
The money is sent by direct deposit or Direct Express card using the details you provide on the application.12Social Security Administration. SSA-8 – Application for Lump-Sum Death Payment
Monthly Survivor Benefits Are the Bigger Payment
The $255 is easy to focus on because it is tied to funeral costs, but Social Security’s monthly survivor benefits usually provide much more support to eligible family members over time. They are based on a percentage of what the worker would have received in retirement:
- Surviving spouse at full retirement age or older: 100% of the worker’s benefit
- Surviving spouse from age 60 to full retirement age: 71% to 99%
- Surviving spouse of any age caring for a child under 16: 75%
- Each surviving child: 75%5Social Security Administration. Survivors Benefits
A disabled surviving spouse can start reduced benefits as early as age 50. A family maximum caps the total that can be paid from one worker’s record, so individual amounts may be reduced when several people qualify.13Social Security Administration. What You Could Get From Survivor Benefits
These monthly benefits are separate from the $255, and receiving one does not block the other. Ask about monthly survivor benefits at the same time you apply for the lump-sum.
Other Help With Funeral Costs
Because $255 covers so little, families dealing with a hardship often look beyond Social Security.
VA Burial Benefits
If the deceased was a veteran, the Department of Veterans Affairs pays a burial allowance that is larger than the Social Security payment. For a service-connected death occurring after September 11, 2001, the VA pays up to $2,000. For a non-service-connected death occurring on or after October 1, 2025, the burial allowance is up to $1,002, with a separate plot allowance of up to $1,002.14Veterans Affairs. Veterans Burial Allowance and Transportation Benefits VA benefits can be received in addition to the $255 from Social Security.
State and County Indigent Burial Programs
Many states and counties help cover funeral or cremation costs for families who cannot afford them. Amounts and rules vary; some programs pay a few hundred dollars, others several thousand, and in some places the program is run at the county rather than the state level. Your local department of social services is the place to ask.
FEMA Funeral Assistance
When a death results from a presidentially declared disaster, FEMA may provide funeral assistance. This is separate from Social Security and VA benefits, and eligibility and payment amounts depend on the specific disaster declaration and the expenses incurred.