Someone died

How long

Do not cash a check or spend a deposit that is for the month of death or any later month. No date is given: Social Security asks for checks back 'as soon as possible'.

Starts

the day the person dies, if they were getting Social Security.

If missed

Social Security says these payments must be returned, so money spent now may have to be paid back later. Do not spend any payment that arrives after the death.

It lets you

keep the money from being spent by mistake. If it came by direct deposit, contact the bank and ask it to return any funds received for the month of death or later. If it came by paper check, do not cash it: return it to Social Security. Eligible family members may still be able to receive survivors benefits for the month the person died.

Where this differs: This is Social Security's rule for the benefits it pays. For any other pension or benefit, ask the payer what it needs.

Checked 7 October 2026 at US Social Security Administration

How long

Call now for monthly survivors benefits: back pay is limited. The one-time $255 payment: apply within 2 years of the death.

Starts

the day of the death. A funeral home usually reports the death, but you still apply for benefits yourself. Call 1-800-772-1213 (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. in most US time zones) and say 'Survivor'. You cannot apply online and an appointment can take weeks, so call now: the date you first contact Social Security can affect when payments start.

If missed

Most survivors claims can be paid for up to 6 months before the month you apply. A widow or widower under full retirement age usually gets no back months, but if you were 60 or older when they died, applying by the end of the month after the death lets payments start from the month of death. The 2-year limit on the $255 payment can be extended for good cause, such as illness, a language barrier or wrong information from Social Security.

It lets you

get monthly payments if you are the spouse, ex-spouse, child or dependent parent of someone who worked and paid Social Security taxes, and you may get Medicare on their record. A widow or widower can choose when payments start: they are lower if they start before full retirement age and grow the longer you wait, so ask Social Security to explain the choice before you pick. The $255 payment goes to a spouse or, if there is none, to some children.

Where this differs: If you have a disability, back pay can reach further. If you live outside the United States, contact a Federal Benefits Unit or call +1-855-522-6936.

Checked 8 October 2026 at Social Security Administration rules, 20 CFR 404.621 (eCFR)

How long

You have the right to see the prices before you choose, and a written statement before you pay. There is no deadline.

Starts

when you first call or visit a funeral home. You can ask for prices on the phone.

If missed

This is a right, not a deadline. The point of using it is to ask before you agree to anything.

It lets you

buy only the goods and services you want, and compare prices between funeral homes. The funeral home must give you price information on the phone if you ask, without first asking for your name, address or phone number. It must give you a written price list to keep when you visit. It must give you a written statement of what you are buying, and the price of each item, before you pay. It cannot refuse a casket or urn you bought elsewhere, or charge a fee to handle it. A cremation can use an alternative container, and no state law requires routine embalming for every death.

Where this differs: The rule covers funeral homes. It does not cover third-party sellers such as casket and monument dealers, or cemeteries that have no funeral home on site. Some states require embalming or refrigeration if the body is not buried or cremated within a certain time: your state decides.

Checked 7 October 2026 at US Federal Trade Commission

How long

Wait, and ask for advice before you pay anything from your own money. There is no deadline. Your state's law decides who owes what, so ask a lawyer or a legal aid office.

Starts

the first call, letter or bill that arrives in the person's name.

If missed

You may owe the debt yourself if you cosigned it, such as a car loan; if you are the spouse and live in a community property state; if you are the spouse in a state that makes you pay certain kinds of debt, like some healthcare costs; or if you were responsible for settling the estate and did not follow your state's probate law.

It lets you

ask first. A person's debts do not go away when they die: they are owed by and paid from the estate, and family members usually do not have to pay them from their own money. If there is not enough money in the estate, the debt usually goes unpaid. The law protects family members from abusive, unfair or deceptive debt collection.

Where this differs: State law decides the community property, spouse and probate points. A collector may contact only the spouse, the parent of a deceased minor, a legal guardian, a lawyer, or the executor, administrator or personal representative; it can usually ask other relatives only once for the contact details of whoever is dealing with the estate, and it cannot discuss the debt with them. To stop calls to you if you are responsible, write to the collector: a phone call is not enough.

Checked 7 October 2026 at US Federal Trade Commission

How long

at least 30 days. A plan may allow longer, but count 30 to be safe

Starts

the day your job-based health cover ends, whether it came through your own job or through a family member's job and ended because they died. Not sure of the date? Count from your last day of work or from the day of the death.

If missed

ask the plan whether its window is longer than 30 days; if not, you usually wait for its next open enrolment. The COBRA and Marketplace clocks are separate and may still be open

It lets you

join another group health plan you can get, such as one at your own job or a spouse's or parent's job, outside its usual sign-up time. This is sooner than either 60-day window, so check it first

Federal rules count a death that ends job-based cover the same as a job loss. Ask the plan at your own job, or a parent's, now.

Checked 8 October 2026 at US Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration

Starts

the day your health cover ends, which can be later than your last day of work or the day of the death. Not sure? Count from your last day of work, or from the day of the death. You can pick a plan up to 60 days before cover ends.

If missed

you can enrol only in Open Enrollment (it starts November 1 each year) or after another life event. Medicaid and CHIP stay open all year. COBRA running out opens a new 60-day window; dropping COBRA or stopping payment does not.

It lets you

sign up outside Open Enrollment if you lost job-based cover (even if you quit or were fired), cover through a family member, or your Marketplace plan because someone on it died. Pick before your old cover ends and there is no gap; after it ends, cover starts the first of the month after you pick. If asked for proof of lost cover, send it within 30 days of picking. Cover starts only when you pay the insurer the first premium.

Where this differs: Some states run their own Marketplace instead of HealthCare.gov. Use the state picker on HealthCare.gov, and check your state's site for its own dates, which may differ

Checked 7 October 2026 at HealthCare.gov (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)

Starts

the later of two dates: the day the job-based cover ends (after a job loss, or after the death of the family member whose job it came through) or the day the COBRA election notice is given or mailed to you. Count from the earlier one to act in time. Do not wait for the letter: the plan has 44 days to send it, and it can be late or lost.

If missed

The right is gone once 60 days have passed since BOTH dates. If the notice came late or never came, your window may still be open: call the Department of Labor on (866) 444-3272. The Marketplace window is a separate clock that does not wait for this one.

It lets you

keep the same plan, back-dated to the day your cover ended, usually at the full premium plus 2 percent: up to 18 months after a job loss, and up to 36 months for a spouse or child after the employee's death. You have 45 days after electing to make the first payment, which may cover more than one month. If you said no, you can still change your mind within the 60 days, but cover may then start only from that day.

The death of the employee is a COBRA qualifying event for a spouse and dependent children. The employer must tell the plan about the death; you do not have to.

Where this differs: If you are 65 or older or can get Medicare, ask about Medicare before choosing COBRA: COBRA without Medicare can leave you with bills. If the company closed and there is no health plan, there is usually no COBRA. COBRA covers private employers with 20 or more employees, and state and local governments; it does not cover federal-government plans or church plans. If you worked for the federal government, ask your HR office for Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC) on your last day: you generally have 60 days after you leave or after the TCC notice, whichever is later, to enrol. To be safe, count from the day you leave. Many states have a 'mini-COBRA' law that can reach smaller employers, with its own dates: ask your state insurance commissioner's office. Some employers agree to pay part or all of the cost in a severance package, but that is not required

Checked 7 October 2026 at US Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration

Starts

the day of the Veteran's burial. VA counts cremation as a burial type, so if they were cremated, count from the cremation.

If missed

A late claim may be refused unless an exception applies. There is no time limit if the death was service connected and you claim the burial or transportation allowance. There is none if the Veteran died under VA care at a VA health facility or a facility contracted by VA. There is none if you claim only the allowance for plot or interment, or for transportation. If VA changed the Veteran's discharge status after death from dishonorable to another status, you must file within 2 years after the change.

It lets you

apply for a burial allowance to help with funeral, burial and transportation costs if you paid them and no one else will pay you back. Whether the Veteran qualifies is for VA to decide. A surviving spouse listed on the Veteran's VA profile may be paid a set amount automatically when VA learns of the death; ask VA whether you still need to file.

Checked 7 October 2026 at US Department of Veterans Affairs

Starts

the day the medical examiner's office confirms you can register the death. You must wait for that confirmation, which can take a few days after the death. Weekends and bank holidays count. Not sure when? Count from the day the medical examiner's office or the register office first contacted you.

If missed

If you need more than the 5 days, tell the register office straight away. Registering is a legal duty, and the funeral usually cannot go ahead until it is done.

It lets you

get the certificate for burial or cremation (often called 'the green form'), which you give to the funeral director, crematorium or burial authority. The funeral can usually take place only after the death is registered. At registration the registrar also explains Tell Us Once and gives you a reference number to use it yourself.

Where this differs: England and Wales. If the death was reported to a coroner, the documents you need may be different and you wait for the coroner's process. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules: see their clocks. A death abroad is registered under the rules of the country where it happened.

Checked 7 October 2026 at GOV.UK

Starts

the day of the death.

If missed

It may not be possible within 8 days, for example if the death was referred to the procurator fiscal: tell the registration office. The funeral cannot go ahead until the death is registered.

It lets you

get a certificate of registration of death, which you show to the funeral director, and a shorter copy of the entry in the national register. There is no charge for these documents. You can register at any registration office in Scotland, not only where the person lived or died.

Where this differs: Scotland only. The registrar needs the medical certificate of cause of death, which the doctor normally sends to a registration office, so find out which office has it; you cannot register without it. Some certificates are picked at random for review, which can delay registering by 1 to 3 working days; if the funeral has to happen by a set time, ask the registration office about advance registration. A relative, someone who was there, an executor or solicitor, or someone who lived with the person if they died at home can register.

Checked 7 October 2026 at mygov.scot

Starts

the day of the death.

If missed

If the death has been referred to the coroner, the 5 days do not apply: wait for the coroner. Otherwise the funeral director cannot go ahead until the registrar issues the certificate, so do not wait.

It lets you

get the Certificate for Burial or Cremation, which the registrar issues to the funeral director so the funeral or cremation can go ahead. You can also buy death certificates at registration. It is free to register; copies cost extra. You can register at any district registration office in Northern Ireland.

Where this differs: Northern Ireland only. The registrar will usually phone you after the doctor's certificate reaches the registration office. If the death was referred to the coroner, do not make funeral arrangements before the coroner agrees. Tell Us Once does not cover Northern Ireland: report the death to the Department for Communities through its Bereavement Service (below), and tell the Child Benefit Office yourself if a parent or child getting Child Benefit died.

Checked 7 October 2026 at nidirect (Northern Ireland government)

Starts

the day the registrar gives you the Tell Us Once reference number, usually when you register the death. You can use the service only after the death is registered, or, if it was reported to a coroner, once you have a final or interim death certificate.

If missed

If you do not use Tell Us Once you must let the relevant organisations know yourself. If the person was getting pension payments, contact the pension provider as soon as possible to avoid having to make repayments. Report Department for Work and Pensions benefits through the DWP Bereavement Service (below).

It lets you

report the death to most government organisations in one go: HMRC, the Department for Work and Pensions (which cancels benefits such as Universal Credit and State Pension), the Passport Office, DVLA, the local council, Social Security Scotland and some public sector pension schemes. You still have to tell banks, insurers, utility companies, landlords and private or workplace pension providers yourself.

Where this differs: England, Scotland and Wales only. You cannot use Tell Us Once if the person was living in Northern Ireland when they died, or living abroad permanently. You need permission from any surviving spouse or civil partner, the next of kin, the executor, or anyone claiming joint benefits before you give their details. If a child or baby died, you must tell DWP separately about benefits you get as their parent or carer.

Checked 7 October 2026 at GOV.UK

How long

Wait, and ask for advice before you pay anything from your own money. There is no deadline.

Starts

the first letter, call or bill that arrives in the person's name.

If missed

You can be responsible if the debt was joint, for example an overdraft on a joint account or a credit agreement in both names. If you lived with the person you may also still owe bills tied to the home, such as council tax or water. If you are the executor, you can end up paying from your own money if you pay out the estate before placing a notice in The Gazette that lets creditors claim, or if you make mistakes.

It lets you

ask first. Debts are paid from the person's estate. In general, if there is not enough money in the estate, creditors cannot recover the rest from anyone else, including surviving relatives. Check whether the person had insurance that would pay off a debt.

Where this differs: Citizens Advice gives the same advice for England and for Wales. In Scotland, Citizens Advice Scotland says you are not automatically liable even if you were their husband, wife or civil partner, or lived with them, but you are liable for joint debts and may be for shared bills such as council tax or a utility bill in both names. In Northern Ireland, nidirect says you are only responsible if you had a joint loan or agreement or gave a loan guarantee. If it looks as if the estate cannot cover the debts, get advice from a solicitor.

Checked 7 October 2026 at Citizens Advice (England and Wales)

How long

3 months for the full amount: the one-off payment and all 18 monthly payments. After 3 months but before 12 you can get the one-off payment and only some of the monthly payments. After 12 months but before 21 you cannot get the one-off payment. After 21 months you usually cannot get any payments.

Starts

the day your partner died. This is for a husband, wife or civil partner, or a partner you lived with as if married.

If missed

The later you claim, the less you can get. Over 21 months? You may still be able to claim if the cause of death was only recently confirmed: call the Bereavement Service.

It lets you

get a one-off payment and up to 18 monthly payments. It is not means-tested, so what you earn or have in savings does not affect it. You can apply online, by phone through the Bereavement Service helpline, or by post.

Where this differs: You must have been under State Pension age and living in the UK (or a country that pays bereavement benefits), and your partner must have paid enough National Insurance or died because of an accident at work or a work-caused disease (the Bereavement Service will tell you if you are not sure). If you lived together without marrying, you also need to have been getting Child Benefit for a child living with you, or been pregnant. If your partner was the Child Benefit claimant, make a new Child Benefit claim in your own name before you apply. Northern Ireland has the same 3-month rule for all 18 monthly payments, but you claim within 12 months to get the initial payment, and there is a different way to apply (nidirect). Tell your benefits office when you start getting the payment.

Checked 7 October 2026 at GOV.UK (Department for Work and Pensions)

Starts

the day of the funeral. You can claim before the funeral if you have an invoice or signed contract from the funeral director. An estimate does not count.

If missed

Claim as early as you can. You can claim before the funeral if you have the funeral director's invoice or signed contract.

It lets you

get help towards some funeral costs if you or your partner get Universal Credit, income-related ESA, Pension Credit or Housing Benefit and you are arranging the funeral. It will not usually cover all the costs, and you might not get it if a close relative of the person who died is in work or not on one of those benefits, so do not count on it when you choose the funeral. It is taken off anything you get from the person's estate. If they had a pre-paid funeral plan you can get only a small amount for items the plan does not cover. If you get Universal Credit you will not get a decision until after your next payment.

Where this differs: England and Wales. Scotland has Funeral Support Payment from Social Security Scotland instead (0800 182 2222): you can apply from the death until 6 months after the funeral. Northern Ireland has its own Funeral Expenses Payment through nidirect, also within six months of the funeral, and some or all of it may have to be repaid from the estate. You cannot get the Scottish payment if you already had another government funeral payment.

Checked 7 October 2026 at GOV.UK (Department for Work and Pensions)