We Need My Grandma’s Social Security Benefits to Pay The Bills. Can We Keep Them After She’s Gone?

When you think of the typical Social Security recipient, who do you imagine? Someone young, or someone older and retired?

Many people associate Social Security with older Americans. And the reason is that the program is known for the retirement benefits it pays seniors.

But Social Security pays more than just retirement benefits. It pays monthly benefits to people who can’t hold down a job due to different medical conditions. It also pays benefits to people who are disabled or blind.

In some cases, Social Security pays benefits to survivors of former recipients. And it’s important to know how these benefits work.

In this Reddit post, we have someone wondering whether their grandmother will be able to get their great grandmother’s benefits after she passes. But it also introduces an interesting question — can grandchildren collect their grandparents’ Social Security? The answer may surprise you. 

Can grandchildren collect survivors benefits from Social Security?

If you’re married to someone getting Social Security retirement benefits who passes away, you’re generally entitled to survivor benefits. Similarly, as a minor, you may be entitled to Social Security survivor benefits if an adult who cared for you passes away.

If a parent of yours passes away and you’re under 18, or up to 19 and a full-time student, you may be eligible for Social Security survivor benefits. And the same may hold true if a grandparent passes away.

Let’s say your grandmother was raising you and then she passed. Let’s also say you’re 18 years old and are enrolled in college on a full-time basis, so you can’t pay the bills without your grandmother’s Social Security benefits.

If your grandmother legally adopted you or you lived with her for an eligible period of time prior to her death, you may be entitled to survivor benefits. But if you’re someone who visited your grandmother often but lived elsewhere, like your parent’s house, you shouldn’t expect Social Security to pay you survivor benefits upon your grandmother’s passing.

You also should not expect Social Security to keep paying your grandmother’s benefits once she’s no longer alive. There’s an obligation to notify the agency when someone passes. Pretending they’re alive to get those benefits is fraud.

How to apply for survivor benefits from Social Security

Social Security survivor benefits could be a lifeline if you have an older family who raised you who’s no longer alive. So in a situation like the one above, your best bet is to visit your local Social Security office to make an appointment to file for benefits. You can also call 1-800-772-1213 to apply over the phone.

You’ll need to provide documentation to the Social Security Administration (SSA). That may include:

• Your birth certificate
• Proof of adoption, if applicable
• Proof of enrollment in full-time studies, if applicable

The SSA also has to be notified about the death of the person whose record you’re claiming survivor benefits on. You can take care of that at a local SSA office as well, but often, when there’s a funeral, the person in charge of it will notify the SSA on your behalf.

Do keep in mind that if you qualify for Social Security survivor benefits, you shouldn’t expect 100% of the monthly checks your grandmother received while she was alive. Child survivor benefits usually cap out at 75% of what your deceased relative had been collecting. The SSA should be able to explain what benefit you’re entitled to so you can plan accordingly.

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