My mother passed away Oct 1st of this year and I still haven’t got her Death Cert yet,..
Q) My mother passed away Oct 1st of this year and I still haven’t got her Death Cert yet, I got a letter in the mail stating I only had 5 days to return some info along with her Death cert, what happens if I haven’t gotten yet?
A) I’m sorry for your loss. Typically, the funeral home or mortuary that handled your mother’s arrangements will help you obtain copies of the death certificate. If you have not already done so, you may want to contact the funeral home to check on the status of the death certificate.
If you need additional copies of the death certificate, you may be able to order them from the state where your mother passed away. The process for obtaining a death certificate can vary by state, but generally, you can request a copy by mail or online. You will likely need to provide some basic information about your mother, such as her name, date of birth, and date of death, as well as your relationship to her.
It’s important to have a copy of the death certificate, as it may be needed for various purposes, such as settling your mother’s estate, filing insurance claims, and applying for certain benefits, such as Social Security survivor benefits. If you have any questions about how to obtain a death certificate or what to do next, you may want to consult with a local attorney or financial advisor.
According to Social Security administration – You cannot report a death or apply for survivors benefits online.
Social Security should be notified as soon as possible when a person dies.
In most cases, the funeral home will report the person’s death to Social Security. You should give the funeral home the deceased person’s Social Security number if you want them to make the report.
If you need to report a death or apply for benefits, call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). You can speak to a Social Security representative between 7 AM and 7 PM Monday through Friday. You can also contact your local Social Security office. An appointment is not required, but if you call ahead and schedule one, it may reduce the time you spend waiting to speak to someone.
What will happen when I report a death?
If you are getting benefits on your spouse’s or parent’s record:
You generally will not need to file an application for survivors’ benefits.
We’ll automatically change any monthly benefits you receive to survivor benefits after we receive the report of death.
We may be able to pay the Special Lump-Sum Death Payment automatically.
If you are getting retirement or disability benefits on your own record:
You will need to apply for the survivor benefits.
We will check to see whether you can get a higher benefit as a widow or widower.
If you are not getting benefits, you should apply for survivor benefits promptly because, in some cases, benefits may not be retroactive.
https://www.ssa.gov/planners/survivors/howtoapply.html