The Funeral Director at Hinsey-Brown will notify the Social Security Administration of the death. You will need to apply to obtain any benefits you are eligible for.

If you are not currently getting Social Security benefits

You should apply for survivors benefits promptly because, in some cases, benefits will be paid from the time you apply and not from the time the worker died.
You can apply by telephone or at any Social Security office. The SSA will need certain information, but do not delay applying if you do not have everything. The SSA will help you get what you need. The SSA needs either original documents or copies certified by the agency that issued them.
The information needed includes:

• Proof of death—either from a funeral home or death certificate;
• Your Social Security number, as well as the deceased worker’s;
• Your birth certificate;
• Your marriage certificate, if you are a widow or widower;
• Your divorce papers, if you are applying as a divorced widow or widower;
• Dependent children’s Social Security numbers, if available, and birth certificates;
• Deceased worker’s W-2 forms or federal self-employment tax return for the most recent year; and
• The name of your bank and your account number so your benefits can be deposited directly into your account.

If you are already getting Social Security benefits

If you are getting benefits as a wife or husband based on your spouse’s work, when you report the death to us, we will change your payments to survivors benefits. If we need more information, we will contact you.
If you are getting benefits based on your own work, call or visit us, and we will check to see if you can get more money as a widow or widower. You will receive the higher benefit, not a combination of the two types of benefits. You will need to complete an application to switch to survivors benefits, and we will need to see your spouse’s death certificate.