My dad passed away and Social Security says he was owed benefits – why are they asking for my SSN?

Social Security pays benefits to millions of retired Americans. But until recently, certain retirees weren’t eligible for their benefits in full — or at all.

The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) were two provisions of Social Security aimed at government/public employees. And their purpose was to ensure that people in this boat weren’t double-dipping on retirement benefits, so to speak.

What these provisions did was use a formula to whittle down Social Security benefits for retirees getting certain pensions. And in some cases, that rendered retirees ineligible for any money from Social Security at all.

But now, the rules have changed. And a few million people may now be in line for a lump sum payment from Social Security to make them whole on the benefits they didn’t receive because of the WEP and the GPO.

An important update to Social Security

Recently, the Social Security Fairness Act was passed, which basically eliminates the WEP and GPO. As a result, many retirees are owed larger monthly benefits going forward, and some are owed backpay.

In this Reddit post, we have someone who just received a letter from Social Security letting them know that their recently deceased father should have been receiving monthly benefits but didn’t because of one of the provisions above. The poster is also being asked to provide their Social Security number so they can perhaps collect the money their father was owed.

The poster’s father had no spouse and they are his only child. So it may be that they’re entitled to the payment the father should’ve received all along.

Obviously, it would be nice to get that money. But the poster is worried they’re being scammed. And seeing as how prevalent financial scams are these days, the poster is right to be cautious.

A good solution

Some of the people who responded to the poster on Reddit had good advice. They suggested going to a local Social Security office and speaking to live person. That way, they can verify that everything is legit and make sure that if they do hand over their Social Security, they’re giving it to a verified employee of the agency.

The sad reality is that it may not be so uncommon to get a letter from the “Social Security Administration” saying you’re owed money and that all you need to do is provide your Social Security number to get it. But if you send your Social Security number to a scammer, you’re effectively giving them a way of stealing your identity.

So the poster is absolutely right to be very cautious with their Social Security number. And their strategy for following up on their letter makes sense.

Meanwhile, a few million Americans can look forward to getting more money from Social Security thanks to the aforementioned change. If you’re in that boat, you may want to talk to a financial advisor for guidance on what to do with it.

It’s a good idea to consult a professional any time you come into extra money. And if you’ve been strapped for cash, a financial advisor may be able to help you make the most of your extra Social Security benefits so you can get to a more stable place for the rest of your retirement.

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