Q: It has always puzzled me why Social Security takes back a person’s Social Security check for the month he or she dies. My aunt died in April, and as her executor, I was counting on using her last Social Security check to pay off some of her bills. But the government took that money away from me. Can you explain that?
A: Simply put, the law has always said that you must meet all the eligibility requirements for a Social Security benefit for an entire month to be eligible for a payment for that month. That is why Social Security benefits are paid a month behind (the April check is paid in May, the May check in June, etc.): to make sure a person is eligible for a benefit for the prior month.
