My brother and sister and twins their dad pasted away 5 years ago and the brother got benefits monthly but she didn't and then a lump some of 30,000 was paid to the brother and only 11,000 to my sister.. I'm trying to figure out how that is even right? Is there any way you could help me so I can help them?

Hi,

There's no way for me to know without knowing all of the facts of their case. However, if the brother got more than his twin sister, my assumption is that he was determined to have been entitled to benefits for a longer period of time. That could be because a protective filing date was established for him that permitted an earlier entitlement date than her, or it could be that his entitlement continued longer due to school attendance or disability. Or, it could just be some kind of a mistake.

Your best bet for finding out the real story is to ask for an explanation from Social Security. They would not be able to talk to you without the consent of your brother & sister, though, so your brother & sister would likely need to contact Social Security themselves, or accompany you to a Social Security office.

Best, Jerry