died spouse/Va

MY spouse died last week in the US, how do I know about getting benefits from his social security or VA. He had worked for a company many years. Should I get a lawyer? or someone else to look for me?

Collect all information and call the SSA as a first step.

Generally, Social Security Spouse benefits applications can be made through:


Online Application (Browse on the SSA's Official Website at www .ssa .gov/ and follow their instructions)
Contacting their offices by phone or mail (Their toll-free Service Hotline is at 1-800-772-1213)
Visiting their offices personally (Setting an appointment with them is advised to avoid long waits although it is not required)

In applying for Spouse Benefits, the applicants will be required to various documents that will prove their eligibility. Thus, it will be wiser for them to ready the following documents before visiting an SSA office:


Original copy of birth certificate
Naturalization documents
Military discharge documents
W-2 forms for the previous year

Equally important to bear in mind, delaying the filing of application because of incomplete documents should not be a problem. If this is the case, the SSA will help the applicants gather the other required papers.

Furthermore, being ready to answer some questions in the interview will speed up the process.