All of our Cypress Lawn team members have years of experience guiding families through some of life’s most difficult moments. One of the big ways we offer support is by helping families file the necessary paperwork to receive the Social Security benefits they deserve.

Below is a checklist designed to help you correctly file for Social Security benefits so that payments will be received as promptly as possible.

To be eligible, the deceased must have credit for work covered by Social Security, ranging from 1.5 to 10 years, depending on his or her age at death.

Those who may receive monthly benefits are:

• A widow or widower who is at least 60 years old — or at any age if he or she is caring for an entitled child who is under the age of 16 or has a legally recognized disability. Those with a legally recognized disability can receive benefits starting at age 50.
• A divorced widow or widower who is at least age 60 if the marriage lasted a minimum of 10 years or if he or she is caring for an entitled child who is under the age of 16 or has a legally recognized disability. If the widow or widower has a legally recognized disability, they can claim this at the age of 50.
• Unmarried children up to the age of 18 — or 19 years of age if they are attending a primary or secondary school full time.
• Children who received disability status before reaching the age of 22, as long as they still retain this status.
• Any person with a dependent parent or parents who are at least 62 years old.

A one-time lump-sum death payment of $255 is paid in addition to the monthly cash benefits described above.

This will be paid accordingly to:

• A surviving spouse who lived in the same household as the deceased person at the time of death.
• A surviving spouse eligible for or entitled to benefits for the month of death.
• A child or children eligible for or entitled to benefits for the month of death.

In order to receive benefits, you must apply through your local Social Security office. You can also call the toll-free number 1-800-772-1213, and the operator will schedule an appointment for you or arrange for the local Social Security office to take your claim by telephone. You can call this line toll-free, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. To speak with a representative, call between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on regular business days. At other times and on weekends and holidays, you may leave a message, and they will call you back, in most cases, the next business day.