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Family Benefits

Social Security

Anyone who has worked and paid Social Security taxes has earned benefits for his or her family. The amount of work (quarters) needed to make survivors eligible depends upon the worker’s age at death.

The program is administered by the U. S. Social Security Administration.

  •  A one-time death benefit of $255 toward burial expenses
  •  Monthly survivor’s benefits
  •  Widows and widowers age 60 or older
  •  Disabled widows and widowers
  •  Widows and widowers taking care of the firefighter’s child who is under age 16 or disabled, and
    receiving Social Security benefits
  •  Unmarried children under age 18, or up to age 19 if attending high school full time.
  •  Under certain circumstances, stepchildren, grandchildren or adopted children may receive benefits
  •  Disabled children of any age who were disabled before age 22
  •  Dependent parents age 62 or older
  •  Divorced spouses age 60 or older, if the marriage lasted 10 years or longer
  •  Call Social Security toll free at 1-800-772-1213, from 7 am to 7pm.
  •  Call or visit your local Social Security office. The phone number will be in the government section of
    your local phone book
  •  Your Social Security number and the fallen firefighter’s number
  •  Your loved one’s birth and death certificates
  •  Proof of the firefighter’s earnings for the last year. (W-2 or self-employment tax return)
  •  Your marriage certificate
  •  If you are applying for benefits as a spouse or divorced spouse, your divorce decree
  •  Your bank account information if you want direct deposit
  •  Military discharge (DD-214), if your loved one served in the military
  •  Contact Social Security immediately to report the death
  •  If benefits are being paid through direct deposit, notify the financial institution.
  •  If benefits are paid by check, do not cash the check and return any checks received after the death to
    Social Security.

For more detailed and most recent information, visit www.ssa.gov or call 1-800-772-1213. The TTY number is 1-800-325-0778.

Public Safety Officers’ Benefits

A unique effort of the U.S. Department of Justice; local, state, tribal, and federal public safety agencies; and national organizations, the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Programs provide death and education benefits to survivors of fallen firefighters, law enforcement officers, and other first responders, and disability benefits to officers catastrophically injured in the line of duty. The PSOB Office at the Bureau of Justice Assistance is honored to review the nearly 700 claims submitted each year on behalf of America’s fallen and catastrophically disabled public safety heroes and their loved ones. Visit www.psob.gov for details regarding PSOB’s death, disability, and educational assistance programs.