Social Security $255 lump-sum death payment — eligibility and how to claim

What the benefit is

The Social Security Lump-Sum Death Payment is a one-time $255 payment to a surviving spouse or eligible child of an insured worker. The amount has not been adjusted since the Social Security Amendments of 1954, when $255 was approximately equivalent to three months of average Social Security benefits. In 2026 the amount is essentially symbolic but it is the single most-claimed federal funeral benefit.

Who is eligible

• Surviving spouse who was living in the same household at the time of death. No additional eligibility test.
• Surviving spouse not living in the same household, but receiving certain Social Security benefits on the deceased's record. Eligibility tied to existing benefit receipt.
• Eligible child (typically under 18, or up to 19 if still in secondary school) entitled to Social Security benefits on the deceased's record.

If no surviving spouse or eligible child exists, the payment is not made. There is no estate-level claim.

How to apply

1. Obtain a certified copy of the death certificate.
2. Call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 or visit a local SSA office. The lump-sum claim cannot be filed online.
3. File SSA Form SSA-8, the Application for Lump-Sum Death Payment.
4. Provide the deceased's Social Security number, the surviving spouse or child's Social Security number, the marriage certificate (if applicable), and a death certificate.
5. File within two years of the death. Late claims are generally not accepted.

Common mistakes

The most common mistake is assuming the funeral home filed the SSA-8 on the family's behalf. Most funeral homes do not. The family must file separately.

The second most common mistake is assuming the lump-sum payment is in addition to the Social Security survivor benefit. It is not — they are separate programs with separate applications.

The third mistake is assuming the funeral home can apply it directly toward the bill. Most cannot. The payment is sent to the surviving spouse or child, not to the funeral home.

Pricing source disclosure

Every dollar amount on Cheap Funeral is sourced from each funeral home's published General Price List (GPL) under the FTC Funeral Rule (16 CFR Part 453). The Rule requires every U.S. funeral home to provide an itemized GPL on request — by phone, in person, or in many cases online. Where a home has not published a GPL we mark the listing accordingly rather than estimate.

National benchmarks throughout this article are drawn from the National Funeral Directors Association 2023 Member General Price List Study (NFDA, July 2023), which reports the median U.S. cost of a funeral with viewing and burial at $8,300 and the median direct cremation at $2,495.