Because the Social Security disability process can be a long and winding road, on occasion, a disabled worker who has applied for Social Security disability dies before the final outcome of the case. Many people, including the deceased’s family, believe the claim is over, but that is not necessarily the case.
It certainly is not a pleasant topic to discuss, but it is a reality that sometimes Social Security claimants die. After all, many Social Security disability claimants suffer from not only debilitating conditions, but many times life-threatening conditions.
There is no silver lining when a loved one passes away, but it is important to know that if a family member passes away while in the process of a disability claim that there are still potential benefits to recoup to help pay for funeral costs and to provide for the deceased’s family.
When a claimant goes through the disability process they make an initial claim of a date in which they became disabled. At the end of the claim, if it is proven that they are and were disabled on the date they claim, they are awarded back pay to that date. Sometimes that amount can be in the tens of thousands of dollars.
To continue the claim Social Security would need a substitute party to step in for the claim. This person would be the recipient of any back pay the deceased was owed prior to his or her death if it is determined that they were disabled prior to passing away.
Most of the time eligible substitute parties consist of a widow or widower, a child of the person who passed away or even a parent of the deceased.
To learn more about the process of continuing a claim after a Social Security disability claimant passes away click here.
