My sister began the application process at a social security office in January, shortly after age 62 in January 2017. The process because was a question whether to file on her divorced husbands record or hers. She died on July 11, 2017.
Is her estate eligible for retroactive benefits from February thru date of death?
Thank you

Hi,

I'm sorry for your loss.

I can't tell from your description whether or not your sister actually filed a valid application for benefits (https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0200204001). If she did, and if she was entitled to benefits that weren't paid to her, then an underpayment could be payable to either her heirs or estate.

There is a statutory order for payment of Social Security underpayments, starting with a surviving spouse, then children, then parents and then an estate. If there is an underpayment, one of the people who qualifies for the underpayment or the executor of the deceased's estate must file a claim for the underpayment. The preferred claim form is an SSA-1724 (https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-1724.html).

Best, Jerry