TN 15 (02-95)
A recipient's eligibility for SSI benefits terminates the month after the month of death (T01).
When a member of an eligible couple dies, the eligibility status for the surviving member changes to an eligible individual effective the month after the month of death.
When a recipient dies and an overpayment exists, FOs follow instructions in SI 02220.053 to determine appropriate recovery efforts, if any.
An underpayment may be paid to certain survivors after priority is given to any collectible overpayment/penalty and IAR agreement. These instructions are in SI 02101.003.
When an individual deceased on SSA records is alive, see GN 02602.055 for instructions.
This is what happens when SSA receives a death report for a recipient and terminates benefits.
1
SSA receives a death report from a first or third party. The source could be, but is not limited to, one of these:
a representative payee, relative, friend, neighbor, or an unidentified individual,
a returned check in the FO,
a death report from the U.S. Treasury Department,
an MBR interface, or
a computer match with various outside agencies.
2
FOs carefully evaluate death reports, verify reports when required and review death inputs in the death (DH) field on the SSR. See GN 02602.050 through GN 02602.080 on processing death reports.
NOTE: FOs also input death for eligible and ineligible persons on a recipient's record in the DH field and determine if the event affects the recipient's eligibility and payment amount. See redetermination requirements in SI 02305.022 and SI 02305.083B.
3
The system terminates benefits the next month it can based on the monthly recurring payment tape cutoff and generates T01 on the record based on:
FO input of the recipient's date of death in the DH field on the SSR,
FO input of a returned check in the (CH) field on the SSR,
a death report from the U.S. Treasury Department.
NOTE: T01 is an exception to advance notice and systems GK processing described in SI 02301.300.
4
The system automatically issues a notice (Form SSA-L8166) with appeal rights to a payee on a deceased recipient's record.
Processing Reports of Death, GN 02602.050 through GN 02602.080.
Systems Input in the DH Field, SM 01301.375
Systems Description of T01, SM 01305.001O.22.