Updated October 18, 2026. Quick answer: Form SSA-8 is the Application for Lump-Sum Death Payment. The payment is a one-time $255 on the deceased worker’s record, payable only to a spouse or child who meets Social Security’s requirements, and the application must be filed within 2 years after the date of death. Survivors applying for monthly benefits file Form SSA-10, which ordinarily covers this payment too.
Related reading on this site: Form SSA-5-BK for mother’s or father’s survivor benefits and Form SSA-1724 for payments owed to a deceased beneficiary.
Quick reference
| Item | As stated by Social Security |
|---|---|
| What the form is | Application for the lump-sum death payment under Section 202(i) |
| Amount | $255, one time |
| Deadline | Within 2 years after the date of death |
| Item 6 applies | Only if the deceased died before age 66 and within the past 4 months |
| Paid to | A spouse or child who meets the requirements |
| Related form | SSA-10 for monthly survivors benefits |
What the payment is
Social Security’s survivors booklet states it: “If you’ve worked long enough, we make a one-time payment of $255 when you die.” It then limits who gets it: “We can only pay this benefit to your spouse or child if they meet certain requirements.” The booklet also says “Survivors must apply for this payment within 2 years of the date of your death.”
The form’s first paragraph agrees: “I am applying for the lump sum death payment for which I am eligible under Section 202(i) of the Social Security Act, as presently amended, on the named deceased’s Social Security record.” And “This application must be filed within 2 years after the date of death” of the wage earner or self-employed person.
What the form asks
The form is four pages. Items 1 to 4 identify you, the deceased, their Social Security number and date of birth, and the date and place of death. Item 5 asks about the deceased’s earnings if they worked in the past 2 years. Item 6 is for a deceased worker who died before age 66 and within the past 4 months, and asks whether they were unable to work at death. Item 7 asks about military service after September 7, 1939 and before 1968, and item 8 about 7 or more years of railroad work.
Items 10 to 12 collect the family facts that decide who can be paid: the surviving spouse’s marriage details, any earlier marriage that lasted at least 10 years, the deceased’s surviving children and dependent grandchildren, and a surviving parent who was receiving support. For children the form lists those who are “unmarried AND:” under age 18, aged 18 to 19 and attending elementary or secondary school full time, or 18 or older with a disability that began before age 22.
Railroad and the SSA-10 alternative
A footnote on the form says “This may serve as an application for insurance benefits payable under the Railroad Retirement Act.”
If you are also claiming monthly survivors benefits, SSA-10 is the form to file. Its first paragraph says “The information you furnish on this application will ordinarily be sufficient for a determination on the lump-sum death payment.” See Form SSA-10 and our page on the Social Security death benefit.
Documents to have ready
The survivors booklet says to apply promptly: “We need either original documents or copies certified by the agency that issued them.” It lists a funeral home or death certificate as proof of death, both Social Security numbers, your birth certificate, a marriage certificate for a surviving spouse, divorce papers for a surviving divorced spouse, and bank details for direct deposit. It also says “but don’t delay applying if you don’t have everything”.
The edition read for this page is Form SSA-8 (12-2024) as the agency served it on 2026-10-18. Check the edition printed on the copy you send, because a later edition can change the questions, the mailing instructions and the evidence asked for.
Common mistakes
- Missing the 2 year window. The form and the booklet both set it from the date of death.
- Assuming any relative can collect. The booklet limits the payment to a spouse or child who meets requirements.
- Filing SSA-8 and then SSA-10 as separate projects. SSA-10 ordinarily covers the lump-sum payment as well.
- Waiting for every document. The booklet tells survivors not to delay applying if something is missing.
Related: Form SSA-10, the Social Security death benefit, the Railroad Retirement lump-sum death benefit, and Social Security and Medicare forms.
Sources
- Form SSA-8 (12-2024), Application for Lump-Sum Death Payment: https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-8.pdf
- SSA Publication 05-10084 (April 2026), Survivors Benefits: https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10084.pdf
- Form SSA-10 (08-2026), Application for Survivors Benefits: https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-10.pdf
Read from the Social Security Administration and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services documents linked above on October 18, 2026. General information, not legal or benefits advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 is the right place to confirm anything consequential.