Army National Guard: State Active Duty
Benefit Fact Sheet
Summary
A one-time payment of $255 can be paid to the surviving Spouse of a deceased Service member if they were living with the deceased, or, if living apart, was receiving certain Social Security benefits on the deceased Service Member's record. If there is no surviving Spouse, the payment is made to Children who are eligible for benefits on the deceased's record in the month of death. If no Spouse or Child meeting these requirements exists, the lump-sum death payment will not be paid.
Eligibility
The deceased Service member must have been either fully insured or currently insured under the Social Security system. Generally, the benefit is paid only to eligible survivors who were already receiving or are eligible to receive immediate monthly benefits derived from the earnings record of the deceased. Former Spouses are not eligible for this benefit. The benefit may not be paid directly to a funeral home. Military duty status at time of death is not a factor in determining eligibility.
Benefit Highlights
Only one beneficiary may receive the Lump Sum Death Benefit. If more than one beneficiary is eligible, such as in the case of multiple eligible Children, the Children would split the $255 lump sum. The current amount of
You can help by being ready to:
Provide any needed documents; and
Answer the questions listed below.
Documents you may need to provide
You may be asked to provide documents to prove eligibility, such as:
A birth certificate or other proof of birth
Proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful alien status if you were not born in the United States (More Info)
U.S. military discharge paper(s) if you had military service before 1968
W-2 forms(s) and/or self-employment tax returns for last year; and
A death certificate for the deceased Service member.
Important: Photocopies of W-2 forms or self-employment tax returns are accepted, but only the original of most other documents, such as your birth certificate are accepted. All documents will be returned to you.
Do not delay applying for benefits because you do not have all the documents. The Social Security Office will help you get them.
Additional Information
For more information, please visit the Social Security Lump Sum Death Benefit webpage maintained by the Social Security Administration:
//www.ssa.gov/benefits/survivors/ifyou.html
For
information required when applying for the Lump-Sum Death Benefit:
//www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-8.html
Army Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Division:
//www.hrc.army.mil/content/Casualty%20and%20Mortuary%20Affairs%20Operations%20Division%20(CMAOD)
Document Review Date: 06 June 2022
The return home from combat can often leave servicemembers feeling out of place with the most important people in their lives - their families.
"In deployment, Soldiers grow accustomed to a new lifestyle and a new 'family' - those buddies that bond together to defend each other," said Maj. Ken Williams, 14th Military Police Brigade chaplain. "This lifestyle change is prolonged and becomes familiar, i.e., the new normal."
The families also change while the Soldier is deployed.
"The family is a system," Williams said. "When one family member is absent, the whole system changes. All members of the family adapt to a new 'normal' way of life."
When the servicemember returns, the family may feel uncomfortable with each other, and the servicemember may withdraw from the family.
Back
Are you the surviving spouse or caregiver for the child of a worker who died? If so, you or the child(ren) may be eligible to get a special lump-sum death payment of $255. To qualify, you or the child(ren) must meet certain conditions.
For more details, visit the If You Are The Survivor page.
In most cases, you can get a lump-sum death payment if you were living in the same household when your spouse died. If you were living apart, you may still qualify for the lump sum death payment if, during the month they died, you met one of the conditions below:
- You were already getting benefits on their record. Or
- You became eligible for benefits on their record upon their death.
If there's no eligible surviving spouse, a child may get the payment if, during the month the worker died, they met one of the conditions below:
- They were already getting benefits on the worker's record. Or
- They became eligible for benefits upon the worker's death.
If you or a surviving child does not currently get benefits, you must apply for this payment within two years of the date of death.
Visit the Social Security Contacts page to view all of our contact options. Read “Getting Help from Social Security” on the COVID-19 page to learn about our safety protocols. You can also learn about our online and additional services. This includes free interpreter services.
To learn more about Social Security, visit our Home page or call us:
- 1-800-772-1213
- TTY 1-800-325-0778
Last Updated: 03/15/2022