Social Security Death Claim
 
Social Security provides income for families of workers who die. The Social Security death claim is cash paid to the beneficiaries of a deceased member. The Social Security death claim is payable only to a spouse or minor dependent children of the deceased. The surviving spouse and minor children can also be entitled to monthly benefit checks. In the absence of primary beneficiaries, the secondary beneficiaries are the dependent parents of the member. In their absence, the person designated by the member as beneficiary in his member’s record will be the recipient.

Social Security death claim is either a monthly pension or a lump sum amount. The monthly pension is granted only to the primary beneficiaries of a deceased member who had paid thirty-six monthly contributions before the semester of death. The lump sum amount is granted to the primary beneficiaries of a deceased member who had paid less than thirty-six monthly contributions before the semester of death. The surviving spouse who was living with the decease at his or her death or the dependant children of the worker are the individuals eligible to receive lump sum Social Security death claim.

If the deceased member is survived by less than five minor legitimate, legitimated, or legally adopted children, the illegitimate minor children will be entitled to fifty per cent of the Social Security death claim share of the legitimate, legitimated or legally adopted children in the basic pension and one hundred per cent of the dependents' pension. In cases where there are no legitimate, legitimated or legally adopted children, the illegitimate minor children shall be entitled to one hundred per cent of the share of the legitimate or legally adopted children in the basic pension.

The Social Security death claim is payable from the date of death of the deceased and continues as long as the benefit conditions are satisfied. Social Security death claim will cease if the widow or widower remarries and when the child is no longer a minor. The amount of Social Security death claim is based on the earnings of the person who died. The more he or she paid into Social Security, the higher the benefit will be. However, there is a limit to the amount of money that can be paid to survivors of the deceased insured person per month. The limit is equal to sixty percent of the deceased's average weekly earnings. If the total benefits payable to the family members is greater than this limit, the amount of the benefit payable to each beneficiary is reduced proportionately.