After my dad passed away in march, we later found out none of us are on record. And because of this my mother nor me (son) cant get survivor benefits. They gave me one option where i need a letter from her doctor saying she is unfit to handle own finances and i would be her representative payee. Is this the only way to get the benefits? Time is creeping by and after 2 months no extra monies are coming in. Our rent and other bill paying may be in jeopardy come june. This first time for me handling everything that my dad used to do. My mother is 91, invalid and iam 58 and disabled

Hi. I'm sorry for your loss. I don't know what you mean by 'on record'. Social Security isn't like an IRA where the owner of the account designates survivor beneficiaries. A person's Social Security benefits terminate with their death, and the only way that any further benefits can be paid from the deceased person's record is if someone qualifies for survivor benefits.

You don't need to be listed on anything in order to apply for Social Security survivor benefits. You and your mother can apply for survivor benefits on your father's account, and if you meet the requirements for benefits you could be paid survivor benefits.

Your mother can apply for survivor benefits directly without you acting as her representative payee. The only reason for you to apply to be representative payee for your mother is if she's incapable of applying herself, or if she is unable to manage any benefits for which she is eligible. Filing to be her representative payee in and of itself would make no difference in whether or not your mother qualifies for survivor benefits. If your mother is unable to apply in person, she can call Social Security to make an appointment to apply by phone.

The only way that you could qualify for survivor benefits is if you've been disabled since prior to age 22, in which case you may be eligible for disabled adult child (DAC) benefits (https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/handbook/handbook.04/handbook-0410.html). You can make an appointment to apply for DAC benefits by calling Social Security.

Best, Jerry