My late wife's Social Security benefits were deposited automatically to our jointchecking account. She died on the 30th of October, and her October Social Security payment posted as expected on November 3. I have spent some of that money, and now the bank is asking that I return it. They said something about the November 3 payment being reclaimed by Social Security. Wasn't that money mine to spend, since it went to my joint account?
There is a problem with the November 3 payment. That payment was for the month of October, as you've noted, but Social Security rules require a beneficiary -- in this case, your wife -- to be alive for the entire calendar month to earn the month's benefit. Because your wife died before November 1, the October benefit should not have been paid. To resolve the problem, you need to put back the funds you spent, so the bank can send the November 3 payment back to the Treasury Department.
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There is a problem with the November 3 payment. That payment was for the month of October, as you've noted, but Social Security rules require a beneficiary -- in this case, your wife -- to be alive for the entire calendar month to earn the month's benefit. Because your wife died before November 1, the October benefit should not have been paid. To resolve the problem, you need to put back the funds you spent, so the bank can send the November 3 payment back to the Treasury Department.
