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Life change guide

My spouse died

Steps to take after your spouse's death: update records, check benefits, find money owed.

Where to start

When your spouse dies, your financial situation changes. Your household income may drop, and you might qualify for benefits you didn't before. You may also have money or property your spouse left behind.

This guide walks you through the practical steps to take after your spouse's death. You'll notify the right agencies, check what benefits you might qualify for, and find any money owed to your spouse's estate.

Take your time with this. There's no rush to do everything at once, and applying for benefits is always free. Only the government agencies decide who qualifies.

Here's what to do first.

Do these first

  1. 1

    Update your Social Security and tax records

    Tell Social Security about your spouse's death. This stops their benefits and updates your record. You'll need the death certificate. Call Social Security or visit your local office. This also affects your taxes—you may file jointly for the year your spouse died.

  2. 2

    Check if you qualify for SNAP

    SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) helps you buy food with monthly benefits. With your spouse's income gone, you may now qualify. Your household income is what matters. Apply with your state's SNAP agency. It's free, and they decide if you qualify.

    About SNAP
  3. 3

    Check if you qualify for Medicaid

    Medicaid is free or low-cost health coverage. Your spouse's income no longer counts toward your household total. You may now qualify even if you didn't before. Apply through your state Medicaid agency or HealthCare.gov. You can apply anytime.

    About Medicaid
  4. 4

    Look for money your spouse left behind

    Your spouse may have had unclaimed money from old bank accounts, insurance, or employers. Search for it at unclaimed.org. You can claim it as part of the estate. It takes a few minutes to search.

    About Unclaimed Money
  5. 5

    Ask about SSI if you're older or disabled

    Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is cash help for people 65 and older or with disabilities. Losing your spouse's income might make you newly eligible. Contact Social Security to ask about SSI.

    About SSI

Programs that can help

SNAPUSDA Food and Nutrition ServiceSNAP gives monthly benefits on an EBT card to help households with low income buy food.MedicaidCenters for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesMedicaid is free or low-cost health coverage run by each state with federal funding, for children, adults, pregnant people, older adults and people with disabilities.SSISocial Security AdministrationSSI pays monthly cash to people with limited income and resources who are older, blind or have a disability.Unclaimed MoneyState treasurers / NAUPAUnclaimed property is money owed to you, like old bank accounts or uncashed checks, that your state holds until you claim it.

Offers that can help

Services from our partners. You never need a paid service to apply for benefits.

Advertiser disclosure
We may earn a commission when you use partner links. Partners never affect which programs we show, how we rank them, or our editorial content. How we make money

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Good to know

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